French President Emmanuel Macron takes swipe at Scott Morrison over nuclear-powered submarines

Still furious over Australia’s decision to tear up its $90 billion French submarine contract, Emmanuel Macron has accused Scott Morrison of provoking a “nuclear confrontation” with China.

In Bangkok

Still furious over Australia’s decision to tear up its $90 billion French submarine contract, Emmanuel Macron has accused Scott Morrison of provoking a “nuclear confrontation” with China.

The French President fired the extraordinary broadside at the former prime minister on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Bangkok, which his successor Anthony Albanese later played down.

The Prime Minister said on Friday Mr Macron was “entitled to put forward the views he does in a very forthright way”.

Mr Macron has been highly critical of Mr Morrison’s decision to dump the submarine deal with French shipbuilder Naval Group in September 2021 in favour of acquiring nuclear-powered vessels from either the US or UK under the new AUKUS agreement.

But the AUKUS pact has bipartisan support, and Mr Macron’s statement was therefore seen as a swipe at the current government.

French President Emmanuel Macron has taken another swipe at Scott Morrison over the submarines deal. Picture: Ludovic Marin/AFP

Mr Macron said pursuing AUKUS risked “nuclear confrontation” with China, and made Australia “completely dependent by deciding to equip themselves with a submarine fleet that the Australians are incapable of producing and maintaining in-house”.

Asked if he saw Mr Macron’s comments as slight on his government’s support for AUKUS, Mr Albanese said the French President had acknowledged in his remarks that “Australia has not decided to change strategy on the submarines”.

Speaking again about the issue on Friday, Mr Macron warned Australia’s agreement to build nuclear submarines “will not deliver”.

“What we decided in 2015 together is how to build submarines for Australian people, in Australia, for Australian industry, to build Australian sovereignty, and to have non-nuclear submarines that you can restore, repair and use,” he said.

“What the AUKUS deal is about is how to make nuclear submarines elsewhere, with other people,” Macron said.

Speaking from Australia, Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese must “urgently” reject Mr Macron’s criticisms and launch a “strident defence” of AUKUS.

“Make no mistake – the comments made are a stinging rebuke of AUKUS itself, not Scott Morrison,” she said.

“It is in the French President’s interest to say what he did – no problem – but it is clearly in Australia’s interest to respectfully refute it.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and French President Emmanuel Macron speaking at the G20 in 2021. Picture: Adam Taylor

At the G20 Summit in Rome last year not long after the AUKUS pact was announced, Mr Macron accused Mr Morrison of being a liar for how he handled the previous deal with France.

“I don‘t think, I know,” Mr Macron replied when asked if he thought Mr Morrison had lied to him.

With overseas territories including New Caledonia and French Polynesia, France is considered a Pacific power, and like Australia, is looking to manage China’s assertiveness in the region.

Deepening defence co-operation between Australia and France was one of three key themes discussed when Mr Macron and Mr Albanese met in Bali.