French consular elections 2026: A vote shaped by history

On May 31, 2026, French citizens registered in Lebanon and Syria will vote to elect five Councillors for French Citizens Abroad and one consular delegate for the Beirut-Damascus constituency, a six-year mandate carrying institutional influence inside France’s representative system abroad. The elected officials sit on consular councils, weigh in on matters related to social assistance and school scholarships, and participate in the election of senators representing French citizens abroad in Paris. Online voting opened May 22.

The election comes at a particularly consequential moment. After 13 years of severed diplomatic relations, France reopened its embassy in Damascus following the fall of the Assad regime, making this the first consular election cycle in which French nationals residing in Syria are participating as full voters in a shared constituency with Lebanon. The development marks a structural shift directly tied to Syria’s political transformation.

For Lebanon, the vote arrives during a fragile but tangible period of recovery. France’s relationship with Lebanon has never been purely diplomatic. It is rooted in centuries of political, cultural and educational ties from the protection of Eastern Christians and the French educational mission to the 1920 French Mandate that shaped the borders of modern Greater Lebanon. That relationship remains politically relevant and deeply intertwined with both societies.

Six electoral lists have been approved by the Consulate General of France in Beirut. Among the candidates competing for the constituency are Lebanese figures whose candidacies raise questions extending beyond electoral procedure itself: who represents this community, and who understands the realities shaping daily life on the ground.

One of the competing lists, “À vos côtés – Pour un nouvel élan,” is campaigning on a platform focused on strengthening engagement with the French-Lebanese community through healthcare, education, crisis management, youth affairs and expanding the community’s role within official French institutions.

Candidate Nadia El Kazzi Chaaya describes her candidacy as the continuation of more than 12 years of work within institutions representing French citizens abroad. Previously elected for the Saudi Arabia-Yemen district, she later spent five years handling issues related to Central Asia and the Middle East, including Lebanon and Syria. During that period, she says she worked with families of victims of the Beirut port explosion, founded an association for executives in France, and followed files related to Lebanese depositors affected by the banking crisis, relying in part on European laws protecting expatriates in financial disputes.

Chaaya also points to her role in organizing visits by French parliamentary delegations to Lebanon that included meetings with the Lebanese presidency, the prime minister’s office, army command, Civil Defense officials, and civilian, military and economic figures. She highlights her cooperation with the French Business Leaders Association in Lebanon (RDCL), noting that many French business figures operating in Lebanon are of Lebanese origin and continue supporting local communities through their companies and institutions.

She says she decided to return to Lebanon with her husband and run from Beirut in order to directly represent the French community in Lebanon and Syria. According to Chaaya, the challenges facing French nationals in Lebanon largely mirror those confronting Lebanese citizens themselves  from frozen bank deposits to ongoing economic, security, educational and healthcare crises particularly given that many French citizens residing in Lebanon are of Lebanese descent.

Chaaya stresses that the role of consular council members is not to control France’s budget or make financial promises, but rather to advocate for community concerns and seek alternative solutions. She criticizes campaign promises related to increasing school grants or expanding healthcare coverage, arguing that such decisions ultimately depend on the French state budget approved by Parliament, not consular councils.

Her electoral platform is built around four main priorities, including the creation of crisis and disaster management programs addressing health, security and natural emergencies. The initiative, she says, would be developed in cooperation with specialized organizations in France and Canada, with the aim of providing guidance and support to the French community before, during and after crises, in coordination with the Lebanese Army, schools, healthcare institutions and community organizations.

She also speaks of efforts to negotiate improved medical coverage conditions for French residents in Lebanon through local insurance providers, alongside initiatives aimed at expanding home-based services for vulnerable groups, including in-home medical testing. On education, Chaaya says her list is working with schools and universities to explore arrangements for families affected by Lebanon’s financial collapse, particularly those who own property but remain unable to access their bank deposits. According to her, discussions have already begun with two universities that expressed willingness to cooperate.

On political backing, Chaaya says she maintains strong ties within France and has received support from three members of the French Senate as well as the minister delegate for French nationals abroad and Francophonie. She argues that her years within French representative institutions enabled her to build an extensive political network. She also says most Lebanese stakeholders have responded positively to her initiative, adding that the main challenge lies in effectively communicating information to the public.

Chaaya says the list’s slogan, “À vos côtés – Un nouvel élan,” reflects what she describes as “a new momentum” aimed at moving beyond traditional representation toward delivering direct services to the community, particularly in Lebanon and Syria. She notes that during a visit to Syria in February, members of the French community there told her they had not experienced similar outreach in years.

Assessing the role of the French consulate in Lebanon, Chaaya says both the consulate and embassy have played an effective role, particularly in security matters and crisis management. She believes elected representatives should instead serve as a bridge between the community and French institutions by directly conveying concerns and information. As a member of the security committee within the Association of French Citizens Abroad, she says she closely follows Lebanon-related security issues.

Candidate Anthony Khouri, meanwhile, says the list brings together independent figures within the broader French political framework. He describes their principal political rivals as lists associated with the French far left, alongside others linked to various French political parties across the right and center. Khouri also points to political overlaps between certain electoral lists and Lebanese political figures or parties, arguing that the elections sometimes extend beyond consular representation into broader political dynamics between Lebanon and France.

Khouri says his support for Chaaya stems from his experience working with her while living in Paris, describing her as an independent figure committed to serving French citizens abroad outside traditional political alignments.

On youth engagement, Khouri argues that Lebanon’s crisis since 2019 pushed many young people to lose confidence in political life. Still, he says the solution is not withdrawal from public affairs, but greater participation in political parties, civil society organizations and institutional work in order to influence political and social decision-making. He encourages French-Lebanese youth to engage in public life, vote in elections and contribute to civic institutions.

Khouri also explains that consular council members are tasked with representing French citizens residing in Lebanon and Syria before the French embassy and consulate, while addressing issues related to security, healthcare, social affairs, education, Francophonie and employment opportunities. He highlights a proposed platform aimed at connecting employers with young professionals seeking opportunities within the Francophone community.

He further notes that consular council members participate in the election of French senators representing French citizens abroad, giving them a degree of influence within French political institutions. According to Khouri, several French senators closely follow developments in Lebanon through their ties with representatives of the French-Lebanese community.

In his final message to French-Lebanese youth, Khouri urges them to maintain their connection to Lebanon, arguing that emigration should not mean severing ties with the country. Instead, he says, young people should gain experience abroad before returning to contribute to Lebanon’s development and improving living conditions, describing youth as “the energy and the future” of the country.