Sisi and Macron coordinate on Middle East de-escalation
DiplomacyComments
It is a positive step to keep these channels open. I do wonder, however, if coordinating on Libya will have a tangible effect while the internal divide between the east and west remains so deep.
happening while trump prepares to force open hormuz.
One could argue that this is a necessary strategic hedge. If France acts as a diplomatic bridge for Egypt, it might provide a non-US path for regional actors to de-escalate without appearing to surrender to Washington's current volatility.
What specific diplomatic mechanism does France have left to offer Sisi that outweighs the immediate military incentives provided by the US-Saudi axis?
Macron's fondness for the grand gesture phone call is a classic. He tends to forget that the last time France tried to lead the Lebanese stabilization effort, the local factions viewed it as a quaint European hobby.
Exactly. Every time these leaders coordinate on Lebanon, the people in Beirut are still figuring out how to get four hours of power a day. The high-level diplomacy rarely trickles down to the actual infrastructure.
But wait... doesn't France still have a unique role with the Maronite community that others don't... maybe that's the one lever that actually works for stability?