Macron: No ‘Legitimate Successor’ To Al-Assad, Terrorism A Common Enemy in Syria

Local Editor

There is currently no viable alternative to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to prevent Syria from turning into a failed state, the new French president Emmanuel Macron said, in a U-turn from his predecessor's position that the Syrian leader must be toppled to stabilize the war-torn country.

"The new perspective that I have had on this subject is that I have not stated that Bashar al-Assad's departure is a pre-condition for everything because nobody has shown me a legitimate successor," Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with eight European newspapers.

The new approach is seen as a stark departure from the political discourse of former French President Francois Hollande, who openly advocated for regime change in Syria.

Under Hollande's leadership, France was ready to support the US to strike Damascus in the autumn of 2013, until Moscow stepped in to de-escalate tensions while also ensuring the liquidation of the Syrian chemical stockpile.

Macron further made clear that the French policy towards Syria is now more aligned with Russian objectives in the country.

"My lines are clear: Firstly, a complete fight against all the terrorist groups. They are our enemies," he said. "We need everybody's cooperation, especially Russia, to eradicate them."

Macron said he will not allow US "neo-conservatism" to seep into France, and that the focus of French policy will be aimed at achieving "stability" in Syria, rather than getting dragged into a Libya-style conflict.

"What was the outcome of these interventions? Failed states in which terrorist groups flourished. I do not want that in Syria," Macron emphasized.

The French president made clear that France's domestic security is directly linked to the ongoing war in Syria, as recent terrorist attacks in France, which killed over 230 people, were fueled by Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the Takfiri ‘ISIS/ISIL' group] ideology which flourished amid the ongoing armed conflict.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team