Lebanon's crisis caused by feud over power, says EU envoy

BEIRUT: The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday a fight among Lebanese leaders to secure power is at the heart of its government crisis and he urged them to set their feud aside and form a cabinet or risk a total financial crash and sanctions.

Speaking after talks with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and House Speaker Nabih Berri, Josep Borrell said he delivered a frank message that some leaders could face sanctions if they continued to block steps to form a new government and implement badly needed reforms. "The country is in big financial trouble and in order to solve the economic crisis they need a government," he said. "A ship in the middle of a storm, needs a captain, needs a crew for the system to work ... If not the ship will sink."