French President Macron defends invitation extended to Syrian leader Bashar al-Charaa, a former jihadist, and criticized by Le Pen and Wauquiez.

In the heart of Paris on May 7, 2025, Emmanuel Macron hosted Ahmed al-Sharaa, the fresh face of Syria's leadership, for his maiden European visit. This momentous encounter marked al-Sharaa's inaugural engagement with a Western leader since taking the reins after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December.

Here's a lowdown on the crux of their discussions:

Background

High Stakes Leadership Change: With his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), spearheading the offensive that booted President Bashar al-Assad, al-Sharaa stepped into the fray.[4]
Tracing Roots: Given the roots of the new Syrian government in the Al Qaeda jihadist network,[2] the leadership finds itself under close scrutiny.

Agenda

Boosting Economy: Macron and al-Sharaa delved into economic cooperation, focusing on reconstruction and establishing bilateral accords, particularly in the energy and aviation sectors.[5]
Addressing Security Issues: They tackled security challenges, tackling repeated Israeli encroachments on Syrian territory and relationship dynamics with neighboring countries like Lebanon.[5]
Easing Sanctions: Macron hinted at advocating for the EU and US to lift sanctions on Syria to breathe life into its economy.[4]
Maintaining Military Presence: Macron underlined the importance of continued US and international military presence in Syria to keep a lid on terrorist elements threatening regional and European security.[4]

Requests

Advocating for Human Rights: The European community is urging the new Syrian government to prioritize the protection of human rights.[2]
Vigilance Against Terror: France is demanding maintaining a hardline stance against terrorist movements in Syria.[2]

Regional Influence

Chatting with Israel: Al-Sharaa revealed that Syria is holding back-channel talks with Israel to avert any future escalations.[4]
Supporting the Druze: The dialogue carries weight owing to recent Israeli airstrikes aimed at shielding the Druze minority in Syria.[4]

In essence, the meeting aimed to foster Syria's integration into the global arena while confronting pressing regional challenges, albeit drawing criticism due to the debatable background of some Syrian leaders and the myriad dilemmas that persist in the war-torn nation.

Regardless of the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Syria, Emmanuel Macron received Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new Syrian leader, for a policy-and-legislation discussion focusing on economic cooperation and bilateral agreements, particularly in the energy and aviation sectors.
Merz, a journalist or commentator, may have expressed concerns about the roots of the new Syrian government in the Al Qaeda jihadist network, given the scrutiny the leadership faces.
Despite the Western sanctions imposed on Syria, Macron hinted at advocating for their removal to help revitalize the Syrian economy, a topic he discusses with al-Sharaa during their meeting.
In addition to economic discussions, the leaders also tackled security issues, addressing repeated Israeli encroachments on Syrian territory and relationship dynamics with neighboring countries like Lebanon.
In a surprising turn of events, al-Sharaa revealed that Syria is holding back-channel talks with Israel, a move aimed at averting future escalations and supported by recent Israeli airstrikes aimed at shielding the Druze minority in Syria.