AUKUS

Callistemon

^My point was really that Australia, like the UK now appears to renege on its contracts.^

Surely if the terms of the contract are not met, there must be a clause which states that the contract shall be null and void ?

I think you are right Callistemon. The French should not be (and may well not be) surprised that, having not come up with the goods, the contract is void.

Some are here just to attack Biden. I think we may all be grateful for the fact that he noticed the politics. It was almost as if Trump had decided it was okay for Xi Jinping to just go ahead and do what he wanted to. He couldn't see that one day that might be very much to America's loss. I appreciate that he didn't care about other countries. However, sometimes you have to work with the most appropriate allies. He really is a very strange man.

Much of France's noise is for their home audience, as far as I can see. They are not going to turn round and say: "ah well, we didn't come up to scratch so it was bound to happen", are they?

PippaZ Biden was referred to above. He seems to be forgetting more than he did before the election.

I don't agree Dinahmo. Biden seems to have his finger on the pulse of the world and the US, rather more than his predecessor did.

He is meeting with the UK Prime Minister tomorrow. Biden is a statesman which is more than can be said of our PM.

That is what is actually happening.

Three unwise monkeys. Biden, Morrison and Johnson. Biden is a warmonger, the others not so much but both of them doff their caps to him.

PippaZ did you read the John Lichfield article I posted? There were problems with the roll-out of the contract partly because it was the Australians who asked for diesel originally, when nuclear was always possible. There was a meeting in August when issues with the five year old deal were discussed and both countries said they remained committed to the importance of the work.
In the meantime Australia had been secretly negotiating with UK and US for six months. Nobody told the French about the end of the contract and the authorities read it in the press before it was officially confirmed.
Whatever happened in the roll-out, this is no way to behave to an ally. France and Australia are neighbours in the Pacific, because overseas territories are counted as part of France. The implications for NATO are enormous.
A lot of people obviously thoroughly enjoy the popular sport of bashing the French, but in geo-political terms do serious people really think it is a good idea?

nanna8

Three unwise monkeys. Biden, Morrison and Johnson. Biden is a warmonger, the others not so much but both of them doff their caps to him.

So much a war monger, he pulled out of Afghanistan.

Great article in the Telegraph, it is always good to get an opposing view, from all sources, not just one. Macron posturing with Biden at G7 was rather sickening.

It gets worse. Macron is also throwing a tantrum over Swiss Army buying fighter jets from the US.
His blood pressure must be off the scale

www.express.co.uk/news/world/1457200/emmanuel-macron-clement-beaune-france-switzerland-usa-defence-eu-news

Really can't emphasise this enough.

What you read in the Express bears no relation to the real world.

Also, missing out important words from the article to make it look like it fits your opinion is not a good look.

Alegrias1

This news is available in multi newspaper, not just the express.

I looked it up. This is not my opinion but fact.

Just saying

Its 12 weeks old.

The article is not about Macron, its about Baune.

Nobody threw a tantrum.

The reportedly "cancelled" meeting hasn't been cancelled.

Just saying.

Mamie

And a good John Lichfield summary here.
unherd.com/2021/09/whats-behind-macrons-fury/

Yes I read this article as well and I wish alot of the posters on here would read it through to the end instead of parrot phrasing a load of silly comments from the daily mail et al

CraftyGranny
You’ve committed one of GN cardinal sins. Quoting the Express. Now go and say 3 Hail Marys.

MerylStreep

CraftyGranny
You’ve committed one of GN cardinal sins. Quoting the Express. Now go and say 3 Hail Marys.

No, the cardinal sin is believing that the Express is a newspaper on which you can base your knowledge of the world.

Also, the post didn't quote the article although it did reproduce the false news that the article writers wanted readers to believe.

Clever, these newspaper chappies.

Oh, he is a one, isn't he? Franglais now from Mr Johnson; not supercilious, not one bit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58654624

Also - oh look a squirrel! No, really....

You have to admit Boris is a bit funny. He doesn't say things like "Prenez un grip" and "Donnez-moi un break" by accident and then add to our dear friends around the world." Now which "friends" would those be, I wonder?

Sorry Josianne, I don't find him funny at all. I find him cringeworthy. Does he really think mocking people's language is a sensible way of carrying out international relations? He's an embarrassment.

Nice squirrel though.

OK , I was speaking about his funny use of language.
If Boris had said "Fichez-moi la paix" rather than "Donnez-moi un break" he could have been accused of being vulgar! The Franglais mix gets over that problem nicely.

Or, he could have just used English and given a proper interview without trying to be funny, like a proper Prime Minister would?

Churchill: “Quand je regarde mon derrière je vois qu’il est divisé en deux parties”

And your point?

C'etait deux parties egales (apologies for lack of accents)

If Churchill did say it its in actual French.

OK I'll do this one in English as spoken by Macron to make my point
"I don’t think twice about speaking both French and English at the same time on the international scene or in business circles,” Macron toldEurope1 radio. “I think it reinforces Francophonie to show that French isn’t a static language, but that it is plurilingual. I’m not one of its grouchy defenders”.

You are seriously not trying to say that because some people are bilingual and can switch between 2 languages easily, that it is acceptable for Johnson to play to the gallery by using schoolboy jokes to make himself look funny to the gang back home?

Tell me that's not what you are saying

I'm saying that, most world leaders are clever enough to say exactly what they feel fits the occasion, especially in a tongue in cheek foreign language.

We'll have to agree to differ. The use of English words in French, annoying though it is to the Académie Nationale, is understandable. Johnson's pathetic attempt to be funny is execrable.