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Macron Wins Acclaim in Beirut That He Doesn't Get at Home

Macron’s welcome speaks volumes about the ruling elite of Lebanon that’s largely shied from such highly publicised walkabouts.

Macron Wins Acclaim in Beirut That He Doesn't Get at Home
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (Photographer: Hasan Shaaban/Bloomberg)

As French President Emmanuel Macron walked through downtown Beirut to express solidarity with a nation reeling from its worst peacetime disaster, he was hailed as a savior.

The images, broadcast live around the world, are bound to stir conversation back in France, where Macron is frequently under fire for being tone deaf and his popularity is only just recovering from Yellow Vests protests and controversial reform plans.

Wearing a black tie to honor those killed by a devastating explosion at the country’s main port, the French leader visited Gemmayzeh, a popular residential and commercial street where centuries-old buildings suffered extensive damage. Throngs of men and women crowded round, begging him to help lift their country, a former French protectorate, out of its misery.

At one point, Macron — wearing a mask in a nation experiencing a coronavirus surge — pushed aside a bodyguard to hug a woman. “Help us. Please help us, what are you going to do to help us,” shouted one man, as he wept.

A vast consignment of ammonium nitrate stored at the port ignited Tuesday in an explosion so powerful it left behind a trail of destruction that stretched for miles. At least 135 people were killed, thousands more wounded and 300,000 are now homeless. The damage is estimated at $5 billion, money Lebanon doesn’t have.

Speaking to reporters at the end of his visit, Macron called for an international investigation to determine the causes of the blast.

“We need an open, transparent international probe to make sure nothing remains hidden and no doubts linger,” he said. 

The French leader is trying to show solidarity with the Lebanese people without endorsing a political class that led the country into financial meltdown through decades of corrruption and mismanagement — customs authorities warned long ago against keeping such flammable material in the warehouse and the fury against the administration was palpable.

“Please don’t give money to our corrupt government,” one woman yelled. Macron turned to her and replied, “Don’t worry about that.”

Macron promised he’ll be organizing international aid while also pushing for political change. “I came this morning to help, and I will speak to all political factions to ask them for a new pact,” he said.

He refused to rule out sanctions against the Lebanese government, though he emphasized that’s not a priority at this point. He said Lebanese banks need to come clean about their losses to release international loans that are critical to maintaining food supplies.

A group of seven explosive experts are in the country to aid investigators in their probe into the blast. Medical aid and civil defense teams are in place. The French helicopter carrier `Le Tonerre’ will arrive next week with more supplies. 

Macron Wins Acclaim in Beirut That He Doesn't Get at Home

Macron’s welcome speaks volumes about the ruling elite of Lebanon that’s largely shied from such highly publicized walkabouts, and couldn’t be more different from how Macron’s been greeted in other former colonies on recent visits. It points up the French president’s ambition to position himself as a global leader in a region where Russia and the U.S. have held the balance of power in recent years and Turkey is flexing its muscles.

When former Prime Minister Saad Hariri toured the downtown area to see the damage for himself, he met with a group of angry people cleaning up rubble and helping those in need.

And Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm was met with shouts of “resign, resign, don't you have dignity?” as she attempted to visit shattered homes. As residents followed her, she tried hiding in one of the damaged buildings before the army came to her rescue. Other officials, including President Michel Aoun, inspected only the port.

Lebanon is a nation faced with multiple crises, and now a disaster. A shortage of U.S. dollars plunged the local currency on the black market and wreaked havoc on an economy almost completely reliant on foreign goods. Poverty and unemployment rates have skyrocketed as the country’s main stakeholders squabble over how to distribute losses in the financial sector, estimated to be triple the size of its economy.

Macron Wins Acclaim in Beirut That He Doesn't Get at Home

Government, shackled by years of patronage and sectarianism, has been unable to apply reforms as needed by the international community to unlock billions in aid. It’s in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $10 billion loan program and even those negotiations had stalled over internal disputes.

“It is essential to overcome the impasse in the discussions on critical reforms and put in place a meaningful program,” Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, said in a statement. “It is also a time for the international community and the friends of Lebanon to step up to help the country in this moment of urgent need.” 

It was with this history in mind that Macron promised to return to Lebanon on Sept. 1 to verify that aid offered by France is given to the right places. He’s already said he’d like it to be funneled through non-governmental organizations, so it “will go directly to the people of Lebanon.”

Potential donors are concerned that assistance could either be siphoned off by the corrupt ruling class or funneled to militants from the Iran-backed Hezbollah, whose political wing plays an influential role in the country’s economy and politics.

All measures will be taken to ensure aid “does not go into corrupt hands,” he assured. “I will come back on September first.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.