Xavier Bertrand, ex-LR and presidential candidate, called Sunday, September 19 for "
an extraordinary NATO summit
" after the termination of a mega-contract for French submarines by Australia, and evoked a withdrawal of France from the alliance command.
Read also Submarine crisis: Xavier Bertrand pleads for an extraordinary NATO summit
At this summit, we must “
ask the Americans this question of confidence: do you respect us, where is the alliance going?
", He told the RTL / LCI / Le Figaro Grand Jury.
"
The question is to know if, for the Americans, we also count, or if we are in the second division
", explained the president of Hauts-de-France, and "
if the answer does not satisfy us, I wish to put on the table the question of the participation of France in the integrated command of NATO
”.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian ruled on Saturday that the crisis would weigh heavily on the definition of NATO's new strategic concept, without however evoking an exit from the Atlantic alliance.
Describing
the breach of the submarine contract as
"
treason
", Xavier Bertrand believes that "
France is not intended to be treated as a servant to the Americans
" for whom "
it is always
"
America First
"". "
It is time that we have the same vision for France
" and "
nothing prevents having discussions with China, with India
", he said, deeming "
urgent to renew a political dialogue high level with President Putin
”and“
with our European friends
”, which“
will also lead to a clarification of Germany
”. According to him, it is also necessary "
see if there is not cooperation that we can now question (...) especially in the space field
”.
Reactions from all sides
Support of Xavier Bertrand, the president of the LR group in the Assembly, Damien Abad, for his part demanded on France 3 a parliamentary commission of inquiry and a hearing of Jean-Yves Le Drian to "
find out if there was at a given moment a failure or negligence
”of French diplomacy.
On the far right, Marine Le Pen had also called for a commission of inquiry.
Asked about Europe 1, the acting president of the RN Jordan Bardella confirmed that his party wants France "to
leave the integrated military command of NATO
" to "
give back to France the means of its freedom and independence
".
Read also Submarine crisis: what can France do against the American giant?
On the left, the communist Fabien Roussel, presidential candidate, also pleaded Sunday on France Inter to "
mark the blow immediately
" and "
leave the integrated command of NATO
".
