Jean-Pierre Dumas
jeudi 23 septembre 2021
France is certainly not a big country in the world (2.3% of world total GDP, same size as the UK, the US 15.9%, China 18.3%), it is not a strong power in the Pacific, but it won legally a big arm contract ($50 bn is a very big contract for France, and for Aukus countries) with Australia. This contract was unilaterally broken by Australia. This is a breach in the respect of contract which is the base of a free-market economy. As the French Minister of Foreign affairs said, “Confidence has been broken.”
Think about it, France is a country with a very sophisticated arms production (nuclear, aircraft fighters, submarines), it tries to sell these arms all over the world (like other countries). Every time, the French industry cannot succeed to sell anything to rich countries, to start with European ones (are US air fighters better and cheaper than the French ones? I don’t know). The reality is that every time rich countries buy US arms (perhaps because they are better, but also because the US is more powerful).
Now for the first time, France won (on a competitive bidding with many years of negociation) a big contract with an Anglo-Saxon country and this country informs French officials when the construction is starting that they prefer another one. The Anglo-Saxon’s comments are: what is the matter? The French make everything personal. Johnson said “The US and UK had been “taken aback” by France’s reaction to the alliance.” We (the British) prefer to work between people of the same culture and the same language, so what? “Aukus is about three countries who have shared values and perspectives and such a high degree of trust they are willing to share very important details of how to run a nuke submarine.” B. Johnson.
The majority of French think that, whatever they do, they will never succeed selling something of value to English-speaking countries. If it were necessary to understand why the French call UK, the US (we will not care to mention Australia) perfidious look at the submarine affaire. “You are our most faithful partner,” Blinken.
Apparently, the contract signed between France and Australia was too expensive and faced to many delays, we are sure that the one signed (without competition) with the US and the UK will be smooth running, fast, on time and cheaper. The principles of fairness, respect between allies, respect of the sanctity of contracts signed and international competitive bidding are for others not for us Anglo-Saxon countries who share the same values.