Macron Visits Damascus, Calls for a 'Free and Pluralistic' Syria
The French president's two-day trip — the first by an EU head of state since Syria's transitional government took shape — is hailed by Damascus as 'historic,' even as the country's new parliament sees
DAMASCUS — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Syrian capital on Monday for a visit lasting until Tuesday, using the trip to call for a “free and pluralistic” Syria that respects all of its components.
Speaking from Damascus, Macron said he hoped Syria would help ease tensions across the region, and underlined the need for a political framework that guarantees inclusivity and representation for every segment of society.
On his arrival at Damascus International Airport, Macron and his accompanying delegation were received by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. According to Syria’s Presidential Media Directorate, the visit is intended to explore ways of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, alongside regional and international matters of shared concern.
The trip is the first by a French president since 2009, when Nicolas Sarkozy travelled to the country, and the first by a European Union head of state since the formation of Syria’s transitional government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Macron was also the first Western leader to host al-Sharaa, receiving him in Paris in May 2025.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) described the visit as “historic,” casting it as a pivotal moment in the restoration of Syria’s international standing. It said the trip signalled a new phase in Syrian-French relations grounded in mutual respect and equal partnership, and a shift in the country’s diplomatic position.
Transitional parliament session postponed
Meanwhile, Syria’s interim authorities have delayed the first session of the country’s new transitional parliament, state media reported, only days after announcing that the inaugural meeting would be held on Monday.
State television said the opening of the People’s Assembly had been put off “to a date to be determined later,” quoting an electoral official who gave no further explanation.
The postponement comes as Syria continues a political transition that followed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024 and the launch of a five-year interim constitutional framework.
Under the current arrangement, a 210-member transitional assembly has been assembled through a mixed process, with local committees selecting two-thirds of the members and interim President al-Sharaa appointing the rest. Seventy members were named this week, completing the body’s main structure.
The process nonetheless remains unfinished: the Druze-majority province of Sweida is still without representation in the wake of last year’s violence, with authorities saying appointments there will go ahead once conditions are deemed “appropriate.”
The formation of the assembly is widely regarded as a key test of Syria’s post-Assad transition, though it has drawn criticism over concerns about limited inclusivity and the extent of presidential influence over the process.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen