LONDON -

The submarine crisis between France and the signatories to the AUKUS security agreement, Britain, America and Australia, revealed the depth of the crisis between Paris and London, and the extreme sensitivity between the two countries that resurfaces with each diplomatic crisis, due to a long historical and political legacy of Disagreements and conflict over the leadership of the European continent.

The French Foreign Ministry softened all diplomatic expressions, describing London's entry into this agreement as an expression of "Britain's permanent opportunism."

The Prime Minister responded calmly and did not hide the irony that "Britain's love for France is inexhaustible," a statement that many British media reports put in the dark irony, given that the history of relations between the two countries is full of crises and misunderstandings that were perpetuated in a sensitive era in the history of the two countries, a period Post World War II.

Between Churchill and de Gaulle

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and former French President Charles de Gaulle printed the modern history of the United Kingdom and France as heroes of World War II in the face of Nazism.

Although de Gaulle led the so-called Free Government of France from London, and although Churchill had French ancestry on his mother's side and had studied French as a child, this did not prevent them from establishing many of the contracts between the two countries.

After the Second World War ended, Churchill's vision was that Britain and France would lead Europe, and that America, Britain and the Soviet Union would be the sponsors of this European project.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) meets with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Getty)

Churchill stems from the idea that Britain, which has a great imperial heritage, is on the same level with America and more important than France and even Europe, and for this he said his famous statement, "We are with Europe, but we are not in Europe, we are linked, but we are not within Europe," which means putting a distance with the Europeans.

This view did not appeal to General de Gaulle, who was criticizing the British "obsession" with linking the best relations with America and turning back Europe, especially after the United Kingdom refused to join the Rome Agreement in 1957, before London changed its opinion and asked to join the agreement in 1963, which General rejected He even used the right of veto against this accession to keep the matter suspended until 1973.

And de Gaulle did not accept that Britain was an exception in Europe, "and considered it an isolated island surrounded by water alone."

On the other hand, British Prime Ministers after Churchill, especially the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, maintain the same approach.

Iraq war

During the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, France and Britain stood on opposite sides again, while British Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the international coalition led by America for this invasion, and his country was at the forefront of the row, France led the camp that rejected this invasion in the Security Council first Secondly, a diplomat.

History will remember the words of French President Jacques Chirac that "France tells America the truth as any friend should."

On the other hand, Blair was responding that this war was necessary to confront a real threat to the values ​​of the West.

During that period, Chirac appeared as the wise man of Europe calling for a distance from this war, and he sent a message to the participants in the invasion with "the need to be careful and cautious and to think seriously about any unnecessary step and the risks that may result from it."

Brexit

The "Brexit" station will remain a watershed in the history of relations between Britain and the European Union, and once again the high level of rivalry between London and Paris will appear, as French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the most vocal opponents of providing any facilities to Britain, and he always threatened to leave without an agreement.

The French diplomacy has been accusing London of wanting to benefit on its own and to set the conditions it wants.

So far, France is still opposed to any change in the protocol on the island of Ireland, which constitutes a sensitive file for the United Kingdom, and threatens a security crisis if it is not resolved, yet France is strict in dealing with this file.

Former French President Jacques Chirac (right) strongly opposed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 (Reuters)

water war

Tension between France and Britain reached its climax due to the island of Jersey, which belongs to the United Kingdom and is close to the French coast, by only about 14 miles, after London decided to move its warships towards the island to prevent more than 60 French fishing vessels from approaching the island or fishing in its waters, according to the Brexit agreement.

The British threat was serious, which was to prevent approaching British waters, even if military intervention was required. France responded by moving its naval ships near the island, threatening to cut off electricity. British diplomats responded that even when the Nazi German army occupied the island, it did not cut off the electricity.

Vaccine war

The days of the Corona epidemic were not without strikes under the belt between France and Britain, beginning with the French President’s decision to prevent the entry or exit of any trucks coming or heading towards Britain, for fear of an outbreak of the virus, which caused a crisis in Britain and a shortage of a number of foodstuffs.

The decision angered the British, who considered it an insult, before the opportunity came to strike back, when London advanced in the vaccination process, at a time when Europe was unable to provide any dose to its citizens, when the British government promoted that the success of the vaccination process was due to withdrawal from Europe.

The European Commission threatened to prevent vaccines manufactured in Europe from going to Britain, which the latter considered a violation of international laws, for the European Union to reverse its decision, in a crisis described by European newspapers as "the biggest insult to the union by Britain."