Matthew Lynn Matthew Lynn

The EU should keep out of France’s spat with Australia

(Getty images)

Ursula von der Leyen has demanded a full investigation. EU officials are considering pulling out of technology talks with the US. And negotiations over a trade deal with Australia have been put in doubt. 

Over the last 24 hours, the full might of the European Union has been deployed on the side of France in the row over a cancelled submarine contract and the creation of the Australian-US-UK defence pact. 

But hold on. Why exactly is the EU getting behind what is, after all, just an export order for a French arms manufacturer?

There is no mistaking French fury over Australia’s decision to cancel the £40 billion order for submarines, which was placed with France’s Naval Group, and opt instead for an American-British system, at the same time as creating a new three-way defence alliance known as Aukus. 

The EU is embarrassing itself

President Macron has recalled ambassadors from Canberra and Washington. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has talked of being ‘stabbed in the back’. The Foreign Legion hasn’t launched a full-scale ground assault on Sydney beach yet, but it may only be a matter of time.

Now it seems Australia will face action from the EU as well. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who knows a bit about contract law from her bruising encounters with AstraZeneca, has demanded an investigation. 

The president of the European Council Charles Michel (the EU has a lot of presidents) has accused the Aukus nations of disloyalty. The EU’s high representative/vice president in charge of foreign affairs Josep Borrell has demanded clarification of how the deal came about. 

Meanwhile, Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market, warns that transatlantic relations are ‘broken’. Australia has been left in no doubt that it faces the full fury of the bloc.

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