France revealed its true nature whining for all to see about Australia scrubbing a $40 billion 2016 diesel-electric submarine deal, calling it “a stab in the back.” France’s passionate response exposes why the French rolled over for the Nazi’s is WW II, preferring save their perfume factories and museums. “It’s a really as stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed,” said 74-year-old French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, showing his age or unable to contain his personal ire. There’s nothing in Australia scrubbing the deal other than it doesn’t suit the new alliance with the U.S. and U.K., requiring long-range submarines only available through nuclear power. French officials overreacted because it’s embarrassing that France can’t produce nuclear powered submarines: It’s really that simple.
What’s all the nonsense about the U.S. and Australia stabbing France in the back? Could France’s foreign policy and foreign relations get more irrational, more undiplomatic, more off-the-wall. Australia’s 53-year-old Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron that the diesel-electric submarines would not fit the bill, requiring Australia to patrol in the South Pacific all the way to the South China Sea. “This alliance we have only just been made aware and we weren’t even consulted,” said 74-year-old Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for the EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Apparently, 43-yar-old French President Emmanuel Marcron failed to disclose to all appropriate parties that Australia needed nuclear powered subs, something France could not provide, embarrassing the French government.
French officials led by their aged chief diplomat have gone over the top expressing outrage over losing a deal to the U.S. military, who manufactures state-of-the-art military equipment. France took it personally because it exposes its limitations as an industrial power, priding itself on its military preparedness. Le Drian doesn’t like exposing to the world that French has a military budget of $48.3 billion euros, not the U.S. 715 billion budget. Former President Donald Trump antagonized European Union countries, urging them spend more on their annual military budgets. So now that France is exposed for not manufacturing nuclear-powered submarines, it’s embarrassing. Instead of accusing Australia and the U.S. of sabotaging France, French officials should be expressing gratitude for having a strong military alliance. “I’m so angry today, and bitter . . .this is not something allies do to each other,” Le Drian said.
If there’s any surprise with Australia scrubbing its sub deal with France, why isn’t Le Drian and French officials asking Macron about his conversation with Morrison in June. Morrison was very clear with Macron over a long dinner in Paris that Australia would cancel its submarine deal. Yet Le Drian and other French officials act like this was a “stab in the back.” Recalling U.S. and Australian ambassadors to protest outrage, France exposes its erratic side, when Morrison told Macron the deal would end. “This unilateral, sudden and unforeseeable decision very much recalls what Mr.. Trump would do,” sounding even more erratic. No deal with France or any other EU country was cancelled during Trump’s time in office. Le Drian can’t fathom the fact that France can’t produce the kind of military equipment needed to deal with emerging threats in the South Pacific and South China Sea.
Le Drian’s beef is with Macron, who was so worried about politics, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that Morrison needed to back out of the deal. Macron faces low approval ratings, accused to mismanaging the French economy and foreign policy. If French authorities were blindsided, it was by Macron, not President Joe Biden or Morrison. French Foreign Minister Florence Parly, an ally of Macron, called Australia’s cancellation “very bad news with regard to keeping one’s word,” saying, France is “clear eyed as to how the United States treats its allies.” Macron, Le Drian and Parly understand politically that their jobs are on the line. Not because they did anything wrong but because far-right Marine Le Pen called it “a political disaster,” a “public humiliation,” calling for Macron’s government to step down. Canceling the deal exposed Macron’s unstable government.
Australia has every right to spend its money the best way it sees fit. Joining a new military alliance with the U.S., diesel-electric submarines were just obsolete by today’s standards, requiring Australia to pivot more wisely. If France wants to upgrade its ship building technology, it needs to address their concerns to the EU that currently bans production of nuclear-powered vessels. Morrison did everything possible to inform Macron that Australia would have to back out of the diesel-electric sub deal because they didn’t give the navy a long enough range for their new assignment with the U.S. and U.K. to keep China in check. It’s was an “industrial and human disappointment,” and “a real slap in the face for French Foreign policy,” said Socialist Mayor of Cherbourg Benoit Arrivé. Once France gets over its temper tantrum, they’ll realize the U.S. and Australia are still loyal allies.
