On the contrary, Hezbollah dealt with the French mission as the only remaining hope for reconciliation. Unlike its partner, Amal Movement, it has not yet completed its response to the French envoy's questions, even though it is the only party steadfast in presenting its candidate defining its identity, purpose, and goals.
The delay in the response is not due to rejecting France's proposals or avoiding answering; Hezbollah is in the process of responding. However, it considers that it has already submitted its answers to Le Drian during the last meeting in his recent visit to Lebanon.
A second positive step that the meeting intends to take with the French concerns accepting the invitation for dialogue. Previously, its Secretary-General criticized those opposing dialogue and failing to respond to France's call.
However, Hezbollah deals positively with its proposals, even though France opposes its stance on the presidency.
Furthermore, Hezbollah regrets how the opposition deals with Le Drian's proposals, stating, "If the US ambassador or someone else had called them to dialogue, they would have accepted, but they refuse France's invitation because it is a state without executive tools within the Lebanese arena, relying on its old legacy in its dealings."
In response to the complainers and opponents of dialogue, Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, did not exempt the opposition.
In his recent speech, he said that he does not seek dialogue from anyone, referring to the 31 deputies who declared their boycott of any dialogue invitation and set conditions, blocking the path of the French envoy.
Moreover, it is not a matter of seeking favor, but dialogue is the only means to bridge the gap between the parties. Otherwise, how can the crisis be resolved?
By responding to the message currently being prepared and agreeing to the dialogue, Hezbollah seeks to reveal the obstructing party in the country and avoid appearing to reject the idea of dialogue and reconciliation with others. However, from the successive responses to Le Drian, Hezbollah and its allies no longer hope for an achievement.
On another note, the French have strong convictions, even though their actions sometimes contradict it.
Publicly, they claim to represent the international quintet, but in reality, they act differently. Their firm belief is that there is no solution except through a settlement with Hezbollah: Giving it the presidency in exchange for the prime minister's position, which is a return to their old initiative.
However, it is outside their power to do so, given the strong opposition from the United States and Qatar, although the Qatari opposition remains in the background.
Sources indicated that the French had raised the difficulty of electing General Joseph Aoun as LAF Commander during their meetings in Doha, and they asked his supporters: How will you ensure his election? Can he be elected without the Hezbollah and Amal Movement's consent?
According to reliable sources, the French have begun discussing the possibility of seeking a third candidate as long as Hezbollah and Amal Movement cannot secure the election of their candidate and the opposition's candidate is not acceptable.
However, no one has proposed a third candidate except for the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), which supports the French idea of supporting a third candidate. Nevertheless, despite months of deadlock, Hezbollah still finds it challenging to discuss a third option and says it is not on the table from their side.
Hezbollah has not responded to Le Drian's message, not as an objection to the principle of dialogue or the message itself. They are ready to react officially whenever an invitation to dialogue is made, as long as the conversation starts somewhere with others.
As of now, there is no specific date for Le Drian's visit, although his arrival is expected within a few days. The hope is not great, but the attempt is better than nothing.
However, the president's election is still far off and does not depend on the outcomes of what is happening in the region, whether it's the Tehran-Riyadh or Tehran-Washington talks. The paths are different, and they may become a helpful factor at some point.