A slap for France. On Wednesday, September 15, Australia broke a billion-euro contract that provided for the delivery of a dozen French submarines to Canberra. It is not, however, a question of money, but a strategic turn on the part of the distant country, which has decided to join forces with the United States and the United Kingdom to protect its interests in the Indo area. -vis China. The three countries have made a pact, says Aukus, which provides for the construction of nuclear submarines of American technology, more sophisticated, on paper, than those of conventional propulsion bought from France.

This choice greatly upset Paris, which reacted through the voice of its foreign minister, Jean-Yves le Drian. The minister mentions a “Hit on the back” of Australia and denounces the American election, which “It leads to the removal of a European ally and partner like France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.”. The anger is even stronger as the French government would not have been officially warned of this change of course before it was announced to the press. Bad atmosphere between historical allies: a gala evening, scheduled for Thursday, September 16 in Washington to celebrate the agreement between the United States and France, was canceled at the last minute. It doesn’t sound like much, like that, but in diplomatic language it means that we are very angry.

The world in front of you is a weekly international news podcast hosted by Christophe Carron, with Jean-Marie Colombani, publishing director of Slate.fr, and Alain Frachon, Le Monde editorial writer specializing in international issues.

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Music: “True Messiah (LilRod Edit)”, DJ Freedem
Direction and editing: Aurélie Rodrigues