France is hoping for solidarity from the EU in the diplomatic crisis with America and Australia.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian appealed to the partners to better defend European interests.

The lack of agreement on the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and now on the Indo-Pacific strategy show how urgent this is.

"The Europeans have to come together and defend their own interests if they do not want to give up their fate," said the Foreign Minister on the television channel France 2 on Saturday evening.

In Paris it is hoped that the subject will be debated in the third “Triell” debate of the Chancellor candidates on Sunday evening.

Michaela Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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"The new federal government must clearly stand on the side of France," demanded the CDU member Johann Wadephul in relation to the FAZ. The defense expert emphasized that the process shows that President Macron's demand for "strategic autonomy" was right. "Otherwise the EU will also be ignored in the future," said Wadephul. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Norbert Röttgen (CDU) spoke of a “purely economic impact on France”. "Neither the EU nor any of its member states play a relevant role in this agreement or in general in the Indo-Pacific from an American point of view," Röttgen told the FAZ Relationships have no effect.

France feels betrayed

In Paris, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) is expected to take a position.

So far it has been said from the Foreign Ministry in Berlin that they have taken note of the new AUKUS security partnership and that “no more precise legal or other classification can be made”.

At the same time, the spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry admitted that Germany, too, had "no precise knowledge of precise agreements".

France feels betrayed by the NATO allies USA and Great Britain as well as by Australia because it only found out about it a few hours before the official announcement of the new AUKUS security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region.

"In a real alliance you talk to each other and respect each other, that was not the case," said Le Drian.

After the escalation of the trade conflict between Australia and China, France repeatedly addressed the possible consequences for the security partnership signed with Australia in 2019, but received no response from Canberra.

"That is not possible"

In Paris, reference is made to the joint statement by the Australian Foreign and Defense Ministries of August 30, in which the submarine business is explicitly mentioned as an important pillar of the security partnership. But the annoyance in Paris is even greater at having been duped by President Biden. According to high-ranking diplomats in Paris, Foreign Minister Le Drian addressed the further strategy in the Indo-Pacific region in talks with Foreign Minister Blinken on June 25 in Paris and on July 14 in Washington, but received no offers of cooperation.

France therefore also sees the relationship of trust with the USA in NATO being strained. "You also have to question the strength of the alliance with the United States," he said. He spoke of "lies" with which he was fobbed off. “It doesn't work at all, that means there is a crisis,” he emphasized. For the first time since 1793, France has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations. This is "a symbolic gesture" to express the anger, stressed Le Drian.