On Wednesday 12 July, MEPs called on the EU Council to impose targeted sanctions against all those who undermine the democratic and electoral process in Lebanese institutions, are involved in serious financial misconduct or obstruct investigations into cases of corruption, the national inquiry into the explosion in the port of Beirut or the organisation of a future international fact-finding mission, and to seize the assets that these people hold in the EU.
The EU Council had adopted a system of restrictive measures in July 2021, but no one is currently being sanctioned under this system.
In the joint resolution they adopted, MEPs called on Lebanese leaders to give priority to national interests. They are urging the Lebanese Parliament to elect a president in the “shortest possible timeframe”, which has not been possible after 12 unsuccessful rounds of presidential elections, “in order to begin addressing the political, economic, social, financial and health crises, and the state of institutional breakdown”. According to the European Parliament, the EU should propose to Lebanon the deployment of a comprehensive administrative advisory mission “to address the urgent need to counter the accelerating breakdown of public administration and basic services” by providing an action plan and related necessary support.
It calls as well on the Lebanese government to rapidly implement the essential governance, economic and financial reforms that will guarantee political and economic recovery.
MEPs also want the country to make a commitment to hold municipal elections within the next six months and to continue preparations accordingly after the postponement of the May 2022 elections.
To see the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/81a (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)