Emmanuel Macron, Scott Morrison: Real reason why French president slammed Australian PM at G20

Emmanuel Macron publicly called Scott Morrison a liar because he was so angry at being ‘left out’ in the Pacific region, according to an expert on France.

Asked by journalists at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow if Mr Morrison lied to him before tearing up a $90billion submarine contract, President Macron replied: ‘I don’t think, I know.’

Mr Morrison has denied lying to Mr Macron and insisted the French knew Australia’s deal to buy 12 submarines was on the rocks before it was torn up in September in favour of a nuclear submarine partnership with the US and UK.

President Macron’s public display of anger was highly unusual and reflects the fury in Paris at the cancellation of what the French press called ‘the contract of the century’ which would have provided enormous economic benefit.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton claimed President Macron’s anger was a bid to win French voters with an election in April, but French affairs expert Professor Peter McPhee of Melbourne University said he’s furious because France’s strategic interests have been set back.

In May 2018, President Macron announced an Indo-Pacific strategy for the first time, outlining France’s priorities for the region – where it has territories New Caledonia and French Polynesia – such as boosting defence and security, increasing economic growth and upholding the rule of law amid China’s growing assertiveness.

Promoting co-operation between ‘like-minded partners’ was a key plank of the strategy and the submarine contract with Australia was part of this wider aim.

‘Back in May 2018, Macron announced a French Indo-pacific strategy while standing next to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney,’ Professor McPhee told Daily Mail Australia.

In May 2018, President Macron announced an Indo-Pacific strategy for the first time. Pictured: Allied ships conduct operations in the Indo-Pacific last month

In May 2018, President Macron (second left) announced a French Indo-pacific strategy while standing next to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (second right) in Sydney

‘And in an update as recently as August this year, the submarine contract with our ”great ally” Australia was seen to be quite pivotal to that.

‘France has been developing this major strategy for the region and this [cancellation] strikes at the heart of that,’ he added.

‘It’s led to the French Government feeling left out of key strategic decisions about the Indo-Pacific.

‘It’s not just a submarine contract, it’s France’s place in the region.’

Mr Turnbull also made this point on Tuesday morning, telling ABC radio: ‘It was a partnership between two nations, it was a cornerstone of France’s Indo-Pacific strategy and to be double-dealing them the way Morrison did was shameful.’

Professor McPhee said it was extremely rare for a leader to publicly accuse an ally of lying.

‘I really can’t think of a previous occasion. Macron has seen Australia as the key partner for France in the Pacific and for an ally to say the leader of an allied country has lied – that’s normally something that’s done over a drink rather than on the side-lines of a conference,’ he said.

‘It was done very deliberately. There was a white heat behind what he said. Macron was furious, and not just because of the submarines.’

When Mr Dutton claimed President Macron is showing his anger to appeal to French voters ahead of a challenge from far-right leader Marine Le Pen, he said: ‘Politicians and elections always make for an interesting mix.’

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has claimed that President Macron (pictured with wife Bridgette last month) is showing his anger to appeal to French voters ahead of a presidential election in April

President Macron is facing a challenge from far right candidate Marine Le Pen (pictured) with the election in April 2022

Professor McPhee said domestic politics was a factor but all parties in France had a similar reaction to the submarine cancellation.

‘For Macron, yes, this is humiliating with an election coming up, but every political party in France was indignant about what happened,’ he said.

‘Dutton’s remark is an easy remark to minimise the significance of this just to say ”the French are playing politics” but there’s a lot more to it than that.

‘It needs to be said that the indignation in France has been right across the political spectrum.

‘The main newspaper on the Left in France, Libération, had an eight pages about the contract being cancelled.

‘The main conservative newspaper Le Figaro, has had much the same reaction,’ he said.

More than 1.6million people live in New Caledonia and French Polynesia and three-quarters of the French exclusive economic zone is in the Indo‑Pacific.

New Caledonia is facing a third independence referendum on December 12.

An awkward handshake in Rome between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron (left) at the G20 summit in Rome this week

Mr Morrison announced his decision to cancel the French submarine contract in a joint press conference with the Boris Johnson and Joe Biden in September.

Mr Morrison wants US or UK-style nuclear-powered submarines, which are faster, stealthier and can stay at sea longer than conventional submarines, by 2040.

France was blindsided by the move and said it was ‘stabbed in the back’.

After Mr Macron accused Mr Morrison of lying to him on Monday, the Prime Minister hit back saying he would not cop ‘sledging.’

The French president had claimed he was not informed about Australia’s plans to tear up the defence contract until moments before the AUKUS security pact was revealed to the world on September 15.

But in a message believed to have been leaked by Mr Morrison’s office to show President Macron knew the agreement was on shaky ground, the French leader wrote: ‘Should I expect good or bad news for our joint submarines ambitions?’

While Mr Morrison had conceded Mr Macron was not aware of negotiations with the US and the UK, due to their confidential nature, he says the French leader was told as early as June that Australia was consulting on other options for submarines.

A secret leaked text message (pictured) appears to show that Emmanuel Macron was given warning that Australia would torpedo its $90billion submarine deal with France

Why is Australia building nuclear-powered submarines?

Why nuclear submarines?

Nuclear submarines are powered by nuclear reactors which produce heat that creates high-pressured steam to spin turbines and power the boat’s propeller.

They can run for about 20 years before needing to refuel, meaning food supplies are the only limit on time at sea.

The boats are also very quiet, making it harder for enemies to detect them and can travel at top speed – about 40kmh – for longer than diesel-powered subs.

The first nuclear submarines were put to sea by the United States in the 1950s. They are now also in use by Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China, and India.

A senior US defence official told reporters in Washington DC: ‘This will give Australia the capability for their submarines to basically deploy for a longer period, they’re quieter, they’re much more capable.

‘They will allow us to sustain and to improve deterrence across the Indo-Pacific.’

Zack Cooper, a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, said nuclear submarines would hugely boost Australia’s military capability.

‘They are going to be much, much more capable in the large, expansive ocean that is Australia has to deal with,’ he told the ABC.

Will Australia have nuclear weapons?

Scott Morrison made it clear that the nuclear-power submarines will not have nuclear missiles on board.

Australia has never produced nuclear weapons and signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1973 which prevents non-nuclear states which don’t already have them from developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Morrison also said the Australia has no plans to build nuclear power stations which are widely used around the world.

‘But let me be clear, Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability,’ he said.

‘And we will continue to meet all our nuclear non-proliferation obligations.’

Are they safe?

The nuclear reactors are shielded from the rest of the submarine in a separate section to protect the crew from dangerous radiation.

The US has an excellent safety record with its nuclear-powered fleet although early Russian subs suffered a few accidents which caused 20 servicemen to die from radiation exposure between 1960 and 1985.

At the end of their 20-year lifetimes, the contaminated parts of nuclear reactors need to be disposed deep underground in special waste storage cells.

Anti-nuclear campaigners say any leaks of radioactive waste could lead to an environmental disaster.

Greens leader Adam Bandt called the submarines ‘floating Chernobyls’ in reference to the 1986 nuclear power plant explosion in the Soviet Union.

Why now?

Australia needs to replace its six ageing Collins-class submarines.

In 2016 it signed a deal with French Company Naval Group to build 12 diesel-electric attack subs – but the parties were in dispute over the amount of building that would be done in Australia.

That deal has now been torn up in favour of nuclear powered subs aided by the US and UK who will provide the technology to Australia.

The West is becoming increasingly concerned about the growing assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific region where it has made huge territorial claims in the South and East China seas, clashed with Indian troops and repeatedly flown planes over Taiwan.

Mr Morrison wants Australia to have serious defence capability to deter China from encroaching in the Pacific and long-range nuclear submarines are just the ticket.

China has vastly built up its military in the past few years and now possesses six Shang-class nuclear powered attack submarines, equipped with torpedoes and cruise missiles.

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