Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa landed in Paris on Wednesday for high-stakes talks with French President Emmanuel Macron – his first European visit since taking the reins in Damascus.

Escorted into the Elysee Palace with cameras trailing, Sharaa’s appearance marked a symbolic thaw – but one wrapped in scrutiny.

European leaders, especially Macron, are pressing him to prove Syria is turning the page on decades of repression under former strongman Bashar al-Assad.

At the heart of the visit: human rights.

With sanctions from Assad’s era still biting, Sharaa is under growing pressure to show real reform before Europe considers easing the diplomatic and economic chokehold.