The French Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces said that Syria continues to face complex political, security and humanitarian challenges, despite regime change, announcing the launch of a parliamentary information mission to prepare a comprehensive report on the country's future, the reality of the transitional period, and the prospects for reconstruction.

In a statement published by the French Senate, the committee indicated that Syria is today at a "crossroads", as the fall of the former regime has opened a new phase, but it is still surrounded by internal and regional challenges that make the future of the country dependent on the ability of the new authorities to consolidate stability and rebuild state institutions.

Formation of a French parliamentary delegation

The committee explained that the Senate decided to form a parliamentary information mission to study the political, security and humanitarian developments in Syria, provided that its work will end with the preparation of a report that includes a comprehensive assessment of the situation, in addition to recommendations on French policy towards Damascus during the next phase.

She revealed that senators Étienne Blanc and Halves Conway-Mauret have been tasked with preparing the report and leading the mission, which will operate under the supervision of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. According to the statement, the mission will hold a wide series of hearings with French government officials, experts on Syria, researchers, representatives of international and humanitarian organizations, as well as figures concerned with the Syrian file, with the aim of gaining a comprehensive view of the ongoing developments before the issuance of the final report.

Syria Faces Interlocking Challenges and Building State Institutions

The Committee believes that the political change witnessed in Syria does not mean the end of the crisis, but rather represents the beginning of a complex transitional phase that requires the processing of files accumulated for years.

The statement pointed out that the country is still facing major political, security and humanitarian challenges, at a time when it needs to rebuild state institutions, restore public services, and promote stability, in order to create conditions for the return of normal life, pointing out that the divisions left by the years of conflict, in addition to the continuation of regional tensions, make the recovery path long and complex, which requires careful international follow-up in the coming years.

The committee stressed that the stability of Syria is not only linked to ending military actions, but also requires building state institutions capable of performing their functions, strengthening the rule of law, and consolidating security in various regions.

The statement also pointed to the continuation of security challenges, including the threat of extremist organizations, the proliferation of weapons, and the complexity of the security scene in some areas, considering that these files represent essential elements in any successful political transition.

Tough challenges for new authorities

The committee stressed that the success of the next phase depends on the ability of the Syrian authorities to impose stability and launch institutions capable of running the country efficiently, which contributes to restoring confidence internally and externally, noting that the new authority headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa is still largely concentrated in his hands and in the circle of those close to him, despite the constitutional declaration and the formation of institutions of a democratic nature.

The committee pointed out that the official discourse calling for national reconciliation and strengthening national unity has not succeeded in preventing the occurrence of violence of a sectarian nature, recalling the events of March 2025, which resulted in the death of more than a thousand civilians on the Syrian coast, in addition to the bloody events that targeted Sweida in July of the same year.

The statement added that the Syrian government has announced its abandonment of extremist ideology, but the continued presence of elements accused of committing violations within some security and military formations raises concerns about its ability to impose security, the rule of law and protect all citizens.

Reconstruction and its regional and humanitarian dimensions

The committee stressed that the reconstruction of Syria means not only the reconstruction of destroyed cities and facilities, but also includes the reconstruction of state institutions, the movement of the economy, the achievement of societal reconciliation, and the restoration of trust among the components of Syrian society.

The Commission believes that the scale of the destruction left by the years of war makes the reconstruction process one of the greatest challenges facing Syria in the next phase, which requires extensive international cooperation and long-term planning. The statement pointed out that the humanitarian crisis continues to cast a shadow over the country, in light of the extensive damage caused to infrastructure and basic services, and the continued needs of millions of Syrians in various sectors, indicating that the file of the return of refugees and displaced persons will be among the most prominent issues to be studied by the parliamentary mission, as one of the main indicators of the stability of the situation in the country.

The Committee believes that the future of Syria is inseparable from the regional and international environment surrounding it, noting that the success of the transitional period will also remain linked to understandings between the forces active in the Syrian file, and the level of international support for reconstruction and stabilization efforts.

The Senate explained that the upcoming parliamentary report will take into account various these data, with the aim of presenting a vision that will help French decision-makers formulate a clearer policy towards Syria in the next stage.

The French Senate's announcement of the formation of a parliamentary information mission to study the future of Syria comes a few days after the official and historic visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the capital Damascus on July 7 and 8, which is the first visit by a Western head of state to Syria since the fall of the former regime in late 2024, and the first by a French president since 2009.

Ahead of the meeting, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa described Macron's visit as an "important development" in Syrian-French relations, culminating in the signing of bilateral agreements in the fields of infrastructure and the financial sector to open a new page of stability.