Australia, the USA and Great Britain announced a new joint security alliance in the Indo-Pacific in mid-September without consulting their allies.
(Photo: dpa)
Canberra, Paris The submarine dispute between France and Australia continues to escalate. The French ambassador to Canberra, Jean-Pierre Thebault, spoke on Wednesday of an “unprecedented new low” in the relationship between the two countries, especially in terms of truth and trust.
The French President Emmanuel Macron had been lied to, “and the deception was done on purpose,” said the diplomat in the national press club. “The way the whole thing was handled was a stab in the back.”
Australia, the USA and Great Britain announced a new joint security alliance in the Indo-Pacific in mid-September without consulting their allies. In this context, Australia is to be given access to US technology for the construction and operation of nuclear submarines.
A multi-billion dollar submarine deal between France and Australia fell through. Paris reacted furiously, and France’s bilateral relations with the alliance countries were in crisis. Thebault was initially called back to Paris, but is now back in Australia.
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Macron had already openly accused Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of lying a few days ago. When asked if he thought Morrison lied to him, the French head of state said: “I don’t think so. I know it.”
Morrison had denied the allegations. He always communicated clearly on the subject. There was new trouble on Tuesday when the Australian media published a leaked text message that Macron had written to Morrison on the subject. “That’s not how you behave when it comes to personal exchanges between two top politicians,” explained Thebault.
More: What the nuclear-submarine dispute says about Europe’s strategic autonomy. A comment.