NNA - On the occasion of International Francophonie Day, President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, on Thursday emphasized that being Francophone is not merely about language but about embracing a profound intellectual and cultural tradition. 

"To be Francophone is to stand with reason against madness, like Descartes, with aesthetics against ugliness, like Paul Valéry, and with the citizen against the ruler, as enshrined in the first declaration of human rights," Aoun stated. 

The President underscored that Lebanon’s Francophonie is not an affiliation with another country but a commitment to a system of values and thought—a true epistemic identity. He highlighted the influence of figures such as Jean Bodin, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire in shaping the principles of sovereignty, law, and freedom that resonate deeply with Lebanon’s historical and intellectual heritage.

===============R.H.