Political deadlock: EU prepares sanctions against Lebanese leaders

Published on : 07/12/2021 – 23:41

The European Union (EU) is preparing for the end of July targeted sanctions against political leaders in Lebanon responsible for the blockage in this country in order to break the deadlock, announced Monday the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.

“The political checkmate continues in Lebanon and the EU is clearly more concerned about this situation than the country’s political leaders,” said Josep Borrell after a meeting with EU foreign ministers.

“A political consensus has been found to put in place a legal framework for sanctions before the end of the month, before the unfortunate anniversary of the explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4,” said the French foreign minister. Jean-Yves Le Drian. “It will be a tool of pressure on the Lebanese authorities so that they advance in the composition of the government and in the implementation of the essential reforms”, insisted the French minister, deploring that Lebanon is “in the process of destroying itself. “. “Now there are major emergency situations for a population that is in distress,” he said.

A “balanced” sanctions regime

For his part Josep Borrell spoke of a “balanced” sanctions regime. “It will not target communities, but it will sanction behavior,” said the Spanish official.

On August 4, 2020, in the port of Beirut, a gigantic explosion left more than 200 dead and 6,500 injured. It was triggered by a fire in a warehouse which housed tons of ammonium nitrate stored “without precautionary measures”, according to the authorities.

NGOs have often warned against interference in the judiciary and pressure from a hated political class, about the Lebanese investigation into the explosion which gave no concrete results nearly a year after the tragedy .

With AFP