French Ambassador Returns to Australia After Submarine Dispute
France’s foreign minister announced that ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault would return to the French embassy in Canberra less than a month after he left to protest Australia’s cancellation of a $90 billion submarine contract (Mark Bellingham).
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told members of the French parliament that the French ambassador to Australia would return to his post following a dispute over submarine contracts, according to a statement on October 6. Le Drian did not say exactly when Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault would resume his duties in Canberra, but he stressed the importance of maintaining diplomatic ties. “I have now asked our ambassador to return to Canberra with two missions, to help redefine the terms of our relationship with Australia in the future, and to defend our interests in the concrete implementation of the Australian decision to end the program for future submarines,” Le Drian told Parliament.
The diplomatic crisis between France and Australia centers on the latter’s decision to cancel a $90 billion contract for French-made submarines, choosing instead to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom. The French government accused Australia of keeping the deal, part of a larger security agreement called AUKUS, a secret from France until it became public on September 15. French President Emmanuel Macron quickly recalled his ambassadors from Australia and the United States in protest. In a press release, Ambassador Thébault called the incident “unacceptable behavior among allies and partners” and added that Australia’s acquisition of nuclear submarines would “affect the very concept we have of our alliances, our partnerships, and the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe.”
The AUKUS partnership will allow the U.S. and U.K. to share sensitive information about nuclear-powered submarines with Australia, allowing them to build eight such submarines in the future. Compared to the conventional diesel-powered submarines that France was going to provide, nuclear subs can go years without refueling and stay underwater for much longer, making them ideal for stealth missions. Besides France’s distress over the loss in revenue from the canceled contract, there is also concern that its image as a global power may weaken due to Australia’s turn to other countries for more capable weapons.
Despite the ambassadors’ return, the AUKUS deal and France’s indignation are likely to have lingering effects on the countries involved. The EU has already postponed negotiations over a trade deal with Australia in solidarity with France. Talks were scheduled to begin on October 12 but they will now begin a month later. The defense partnership also soured relations between Europe and the United States, causing German representatives and EU officials to consider canceling similar trade talks with the U.S. The AUKUS agreement that caused the dispute will give the United States and the United Kingdom greater influence in the Asia-Pacific region, where Australian submarines could serve as a check on China’s naval power.