A big bang after the submarine dispute: France calls back ambassadors from the USA and Australia

France has recalled its ambassadors from the USA and Australia.

The reason is a dispute over a new Indo-Pacific security alliance.

Paris - France has called its ambassadors from the US and Australia back for consultations in the dispute over a new Indo-Pacific security alliance.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian justified the "extraordinary decision" in a statement on Friday by saying that the announcements by Washington and Canberra were "extremely serious".

Foreign Minister Le Drian announced in Paris that this extraordinary step was taking place at the request of President Emmanuel Macron *.

Because of the new security alliance, Australia surprisingly canceled the purchase of French submarines that had been negotiated for years.

Indo-Pacific Security Alliance: Background to Australia's dispute with France

A few days after the announcement of the new Indo-Pacific security alliance, the diplomatic waves were already high.

Australia rejected China's criticism of the alliance with the United States and Great Britain.

China has "the right to make decisions in the national interest for its defense - and the same applies of course to Australia," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday.

The French opposition criticized the failure of a submarine deal with Australia.

Against the background of Chinese expansion efforts, Washington, London and Canberra announced a new alliance on Wednesday (September 15), which includes the construction of nuclear-powered submarines in Australia and the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles by Canberra.

In return, Australia surprisingly announced the purchase of French submarines worth 56 billion euros, which had been negotiated for years.

Submarine dispute in Australia: "A tough dispute for the French defense industry"

The French opposition reacted in horror: "This is a hard blow to the French defense industry and further evidence of the industrial and geopolitical decline of France," said a statement published on Friday by the Conservative Republican Party. Right-wing presidential candidate Xavier Bertrand spoke of "a kind of betrayal by our allies".

The French ambassador in Washington canceled a reception scheduled for Friday at his residence during the week at which the Franco-American friendship should have been celebrated. France's EU State Secretary Clément Beaune said on Wednesday that he did not know how to trust Australia as a trading partner in the future. Even then, the mood was rough. The diplomatic dispute is now entering the next round. Exit open.