• This Saturday, during the G20, Joe Biden returned to the attitude of the Americans during the submarine crisis.

  • Relations between France and the United States were strained after what the French Foreign Minister had described as "treason".

  • For Alexis Pichard, expert in American civilization, these facade excuses suit both countries well.

Relations between the United States and France had been left to an ice age following the submarine crisis, when Australia had terminated the "contract of the century" initially planned with French ships to order from Americans. A betrayal on the part of Canberra but especially of Washington which had left a taste of bitterness with Paris, France even recalling its ambassadors located in the United States, a great first in diplomatic history between the two nations.

The G20 this Saturday was an opportunity to warm up the American-French diplomacy a little.

Joe Biden recognized in particular that the United States had been "awkward" with regard to France, and showing regret for the first time.

What to revive the friendship between Paris and Washington?

For Alexis Pichard, researcher in American civilization, the detente was in fact already well underway.

Is this the end of the diplomatic crisis between the United States and France?

Make no mistake, the crisis was long over. It is certainly one of the first times that the tone was raised so much on the side of France, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Yves Le Drian had even spoken of treason, but Paris could not continue in this hostility because the report of strength was too unequal vis-à-vis the United States. We could wince, but in the end, we couldn't go much further or separate from the world's leading power for very long. We were tacitly already reconciled by the force of circumstances. What Joe Biden offered France this Saturday is an official step towards it and an exit with honors. The crisis did not last more than a few days, and certainly did not wait for an apology from Joe Biden to subside.

Since the crisis is over, what interest did Joe Biden have in making this statement?

First, it doesn't cost him anything, so it's a very inexpensive apology.

Ordinary Americans don't care a little about this tension with France, and probably aren't even aware that Paris was upset.

In the United States, therefore, we are not going to blame it for a potential weakness by offering apologies.

Then, it finally gives him an anti-Trump image internationally. At the start of his tenure, he was accused of perpetuating this

America first

trend

, and of putting American economic and military interests above all else, even the most historic allies. By apologizing, he calls into question a little this American monopoly and claims a multilaterism of relations and governance closer to the foreign policy that he had promised.

One of Joe Biden's campaign promises was to find an America that is trying to reconnect with its partners and allies and rewrite a shared history. However, France is the most historic ally of the United States since it even participated actively in their creation (by helping them militarily during the war of independence), there is therefore a particularly romantic and sentimental history between these two nations.

Less emotionally, there is also a stake vis-à-vis China.

The United States needs Europe in order to face a united front against the Asian giant, and cannot afford to be in tension with the Europeans.

China is trying to extend its hold in particular through the new Silk Roads, which partly pass through Europe, enough to convince the Americans not to rush their allies across the Atlantic too much.

Is this an unexpected scenario for France?

It is in any case a welcome setting for France. This submarine crisis had shown that the country has become a middle power, downgraded to the scale of the world and geopolitical affairs. This Saturday, Joe Biden reaffirmed the importance of France in world affairs by apologizing to her, this enhances the image of Paris internationally, a few months away from taking the head of the European presidency moreover.

What is very interesting, beyond his apologies, is that for the first time an American president has opened the door to a common defense of Europeans, where the United States has no interest in the 27 do that and become more militarily autonomous.

Joe Biden admitted that this could be complementary with NATO, and this is a project massively supported by Emmanuel Macron and the French.

Does everything end well for everyone in this story?

Not really, because Joe Biden put the blame on Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, which, however, suits Emmanuel Macron well in view of current Franco-British relations.

Boris Johnson has become the common enemy and responsible for the submarine crisis, and throughout his early tenure, Joe Biden failed to materialize the urge to renew special relations with England, which finds itself increasingly isolated internationally.

The UK has become the big loser in the submarine crisis.

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  • EU

  • G20

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Joe biden

  • United States

  • World

  • Submarine