It’s a reset Franco-Australian relations. Australia will pay 555 million euros in compensation to Naval Group for “breach of contract” after the cancellation of the order for French submarines, announced the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Taking care to recall that the decision had been taken by his predecessor Scott Morrison, he considered that it was a “fair and equitable settlement”.
The cancellation, at the last minute, of a mega-contract of 56 billion euros by Canberra, which had preferred American nuclear-powered submarines, had caused an unprecedented crisis between France and Australia. Jean-Yves Le Drian had denounced “a blow in the back”, and Joe Biden had apologized to Emmanuel Macro, recognizing an American “clumsiness”.
The Australian Labor Prime Minister also had discussions with the French president, and thanked him for “the cordial way” in which the two countries are “re-establishing a better relationship”.