[Skybird]

I had not expected that a German mainstrema national newspapers would slam the French and - quote - "drama queen" Macron so mercilessly over the mess they brought themselves into.

https://translate.google.com/transla.../27627196.html

The choice of roles of a drama queen must alarm Germany. What is the goal - and what are the lessons for the next federal government? Macron demands more European autonomy in contrast to NATO and more support from Berlin for it. But: is that also in the German interest? And how reliable is Paris when the going gets tough?
France was largely responsible for the defeat itself . The provider DCNS has far exceeded the budget for the submarines and did not deliver the agreed project sections on time. Australia wanted to get out a long time ago. In April it had not signed the follow-up agreement.

The defeat is self-inflicted, the anger played

The French have been betting for too long that Australia has no alternative. The Americans and British have so far been unwilling to share their secrets of nuclear submarine propulsion with anyone. This hurdle has been overcome. An alliance of democracies against China's imperial claims in the Indo-Pacific is a priority for Joe Biden and Boris Johnson.
Macron's anger is partly authentic, partly acted. With a view to the election in the spring, it is tricky when jobs in the arms industry are no longer available. The industry plays a bigger role in France than in Germany.
Paris recently lost arms contracts several times for political reasons: helicopter deals with Russia because of the sanctions following the annexation of Crimea and with Poland because the national-populist PiS preferred to negotiate with the USA after its election victory rather than honor the agreements of its predecessors.

Paris fears a coalition left of center in Berlin

The Australian order for diesel submarines came at just the right time. France didn't get it back then because it builds better diesel engines than the duped German competition. But because of the option to switch to nuclear power. Now the USA and Great Britain are winning because they are better there.

With the tough choice of words, Macron is building up pressure to force compensation, for example by involving French shipyards in the new project.

But he also wants concessions from Germany. It is about the global competitiveness of Europe in complex armaments projects. He is annoyed by German going it alone, from the rejection of armed drones to the export guidelines for joint armaments.
Paris also fears that Germany, under a left-of-center coalition, will show even less willingness to strengthen Europe militarily.