Australia’s surprise decision to cancel a $50 billion contract for French submarines to buy American nuclear submarines instead didn’t go over well in The Hexagon. Le Monde’s front-page headline called it a “French diplomacy failure.”
In a bitter editorial, the paper denounced “the new Anglo-Saxon alliance [between the US, UK and Australia] created to confront China” and warned that it “poses existential questions for Europe.”
It was a rude awakening about the real nature of the transatlantic alliance and “a punch in the gut” for France which was left in the dark about the deal, Le Monde said, adding that the UK’s participation amounts to a thumbs up from Washington for the “Global Britain” promised by Boris Johnson and the Brexiteers. www.lemonde.fr/…
Australia’s government justifies the nuclear submarine deal as necessary to counter China in the Pacific.
For Emmanuel Macron, the cancellation is a personal blow. He made it a centerpiece of his administration to build a world-class military hardware industry and he took a lot of pride and credit in selling fighter jets, helicopter carriers and submarines abroad. The cancellation of a big contract is bound to be a disappointment. In that light, the statement issued by his Foreign Minister isn’t a big surprise.
At the request of the President of the Republic, I am recalling to Paris without delay our ambassadors to the United States and to Australia for consultations.
This exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15th September by Australia and the United States.
The cancellation of the Attack class submarine program binding Australia and France since 2016, and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States meant to launch studies on a possible future cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines, constitute unacceptable behavior between allies and partners, whose consequences directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe.
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/...
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Some politicians went further, calling for France to quit NATO. Alexis Corbière, a left of the left France Insoumise party member of Parliament tweeted:
“Australian submarines: let’s not be naïve. The USA will take all markets. France must have a military strategy, be independent, ensure its own defense and therefore get out of NATO.”