Submarine crisis: the Anglo-Saxon press denounces a "growing subordination" of the United Kingdom

Australia's decision to end the "century contract" with France for twelve conventional propulsion submarines and the almost simultaneous announcement of a new alliance between the United States, Great Britain and theAustralia in the Indo-Pacific Zone opened a breach on Wednesday, September 15, in diplomatic relations between these countries.France, which sees a contract at several billion euros escaping its naval industry, immediately denounced a "blow behind the back" and recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra.

Since then, the crisis has been making the "one" of French newspapers.Foreign media are less prolix on the case, but these downtned submarines and this new alliance, named Aukus (for the Anglo-Saxon initials of committed countries) are the subject of several chronicles, analyzes and editorials.However-and contrary to the idea that could be made of it-these articles mostly call British and Australian to prudence, and even sermate American methods.

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In the United States, the New York Times thus estimates that President Joe Biden "put an important European ally on the back", by dismissing France from this alliance intended to counter the rise of China in the region.And to recall that upcoming meetings in Washington-Mr. Biden must meet the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, before receiving the members of the Quad, an informal partnership of the United States on Friday with the Japanese, the Australians and theIndians - are likely to strengthen the French feeling that, "in a century turned towards China, the historic allies of continental Europe are less important".

"Vital diplomatic relations" damaged

The Wall Street Journal is no less critical about American behavior: "Although [Joe Biden] has managed to spare a greater number of traditional allies from the United States than Donald Trump, he also managed to damage relations vital diplomatic and, in the case of France, to exhibit clear differences in the way of confronting China. For its part, the Washington Post provides a more American-centered analysis. According to his journalist, Australia thus only "hidden, in a way, its Chinese strategy on that of Washington". The United Kingdom hopes to "prove its capacities after Brexit [and] is delighted to play [only] the role of the junior partner". And to conclude soberly with a quote from the director of an Australian think-tank: "It is not very surprising that democracies like Australia and Japan are looking for solutions to counter the rise of China. (…) The United States is essential in all these plans. »»

Critics of American behavior, foreign media also warn Australia.If it appears that the island takes "a central role in a major geopolitical battle of this era", estimates a journalist of the Sydney Morning Herald, a colleague from the same newspaper says however that French President Emmanuel Macron "has good reasons for'Be angry and disappointed by Australia ”.In the space of a night, Australia has passed, for Paris, from a "friend and allied to a nation to which one cannot trust," continues the second newspaper in the country.

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And to exhibit: "The problem for [Australian Prime Minister Scott] Morrison is that he disappointed Macron while the German Chancellor Angela Merkel withdrew from power and the French president will de facto take the head of Europe.Australia has not only engaged in a battle with France, but also with the European Union.The EU indeed provides symbolic support to France on Tuesday.In Brussels, seat of the European authorities, the newspaper Le Soir thus sees the Union "stunned" by the latest American, British and Australian statements and prefers to write about the new European strategy for the Indo-Pacific Zone, ironically revealed after the day'Announcement of the creation of Aukus.

"Strong unilateralist trends"

It is also the ire of Europe that newspapers fear for the United Kingdom.After this apparent victory, the crisis of submarines could finally isolate it a little more, after its release from the European Union, on January 31, 2020. An article in the New York Times thus underlines "a tangible first victory in theBritish campaign to make the United Kingdom post-Brexit an international actor ", but warns against the United States which" will continue their interests without sentimentality for these "diplomatic relations.

The journalist notably quotes the director of the American program of a British research institute: "The most remarkable is how much the Americans speak so little and the British as much.That said a lot about this special relationship [argued by the United Kingdom].Special does not mean equal.»»

Across the Channel, the Guardian articles leave little room for the analysis of the crisis, and are rather content to report the reactions of each other.However, an editorial promises to give the newspaper's point of view on "Anglo-French relations".The critical article The approach of the new Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Liz Truss, who promotes the nebulous concept of "Global Britain", which intends to define the place of the United Kingdom in the world in the coming years."Aukus highlights a number of problems with the project of a" Global Britain ";One of them being the growing subordination of the country in the United States, even though Joe Biden shows strong unilateralist tendencies, "denounces the social-liberal media.

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"It is obvious, or should be, that the European Union and the United Kingdom have a strong interest in making common front in several areas," he also notes.And the Guardian to conclude with a question: "If one less and less docile America takes a path and a vexed Europe takes another, where the United Kingdom will go?»»

The Telegraph, on the contrary, makes its bold cabbage of the crisis, advancing "the golden opportunity" offered by the termination of the French contract on submarines for the benefit of American and British technologies and summarizing Emmanuel Macron "to learn toLive with the “Global Britain” ”.The French President would undertake like a child - "Throwing His Toys Out of the Pram", literally: "Throwing his toys outside the Landau" - while "Aukus is a good idea".

Notre sélection d’articles sur la crise des sous-marins entre la France et l’Australie

All articles devoted to the submarine crisis are available in this section.

Sandra Favier

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