I predict France will respond to the new U.S.-Australian nuclear submarine deal by blocking American travelers from Metropolitan France, under the guise of rising coronavirus numbers in the United States.
Will France Ban U.S. Citizens Over “Coronavirus” Concerns (i.e. Revenge)?
I’ve never seen France so angry at the United States, even when George W. Bush snubbed Jaques Chirac and invaded Iraq in 2003. Earlier this week, Australia blindsided France by cancelling a $90 billion order for conventional submarines, pivoting to a new deal involving the United States and Great Britain to build nuclear-powered submarines with top secret design details provided by the USA. The move is geared toward countering the People’s Republic of China, which has become increasingly aggressive in its claims over the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan) and the South China Sea, as well as its rule over Hong Kong.
But the loser of the deal is France. France may extract penalty and cancellations fees, but it will not only lose money, but lose prestige through this order cancellation.
And as a result, President Emmanuel Macron is livid. He has blasted the deal as a slap in the face to France and particularly condemned that it was orchestrated in secrecy and announced without providing France, America’s oldest ally, prior notice.
The French Ambassadors to the USA and Australia have been recalled and Gérard Araud, a former French ambassador said:
“The world is a jungle. France has just been reminded of this bitter truth by the way the US and the UK have stabbed her in the back in Australia.”
Under that banner of controversy, I predict France will announce next week that American tourists will no longer be welcome in Metropolitan France (European France), even if vaccinated. It would be a bold move but a silly one, considering Americans are spending millions of Euros supporting local business.
Nevertheless, the French are a proud people and Macron, who will be the new de facto leader of Europe after German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s departure from office later this month after four terms, has expressed a level of anger that has taken many by surprise.
CONCLUSION
I would love nothing more than to be proven flat-out wrong on this prediction, but I do think we will see some travel restrictions introduced next week in a move that will ostensibly be unrelated but tacitly meant to be retaliation for the nuclear submarine deal.
Certainly no fan of Biden, but he did American citizens a solid with this one. France is no friend of the US, it’s people are dirty and there is no need for any citizen to risk their life going there. It’s on the verge of being a 3rd world shithole with it’s welcoming of terrorists.
Now the elites will come in and defend all the “culture” France has. You want to see Paris, go to Vegas and support American workers.
@ Dave — Wow, racist much?
@Gene: Snowflake much?
Thinking really isn’t one of your strong points is it?
He’s just pissed as he can’t get his loser Trump 2020 bumper sticker off his dilapidated golf cart at The Villages
Sorry racist UA, you are the city that arrested 3 black ladies yesterday after not serving them at Carmines yesterday. New York City the discrimination capital of the world. The new south of the 60’s.
And no one dispute there is zero reason for any American to go to France. And it’s perfectly fine if they feel the same way about us. They never learn, Charlie Hebdo should have been a wake up for them but how can you expect people to lazy to shave and wear deodorant to see what their country became.
And you are the perfect example of an ignorant, cynical, entitled American who is unable to control neither their emotions, nor their racism. Save your complaining for the next MAGA rally you attend in Vegas. It’s made for people like yourself.
WTF Dave?
I’m not surprised, Dave, that you’re no fan of Biden. Only a Trump supporter could proudly spout ideas and prejudices as deeply ignorant as yours.
Naaa….he knows exactly what he’s doing, tweaking you self righteous fools, and you took the bait.
@Dave Edwards and his accolyte Santastico are the biggest pieces of trash poluting travel blogs. Santastixo is a Bolsonaro feetlicker. Makes you wonders if these d###heads have have set foot outside of their MAGA twillight zone. Glad these idiots are not visiting Europe
Sorry to ask such a personal question, but does it actually hurt a lot to be that stupid? Don’t tell me you do not have a least a slight headache!
@Dave Edwards…..your comment made me realized even more how bitter, stupid and ignorant some people are!! Please go and spend your money in Vegas where your level of intelligence will be more appropriate than in France lol!
And who is the elite racist when you downgrade the people who go to Vegas? Assuming you are Canadian from your name, which should disqualify you from commenting based on that alone. It’s sad when Mexico is a better and safer neighbor to America. Hopefully your black faced leader bans travel between the country as well. And take all your fucking Tim Horton’s popping up all over Buffalo back.
@Dave Edwards…..sooory for my late reply as I lost track of your racist rant while I was drinking my Tim Hortons coffee flying to France… a bientôt mon ami….
As they should. America has had a racially motivated ban in place for more than a year now, and will now join fellow woke Anglo-Saxons in a nuclear alliance.
No thanks ,says this European.
Biden doesn’t need France, he has a new go to friend on the other side of the globe – The Taliban. Oh, and by the way, nice job Biden and Milley on smoking the Afghan aid worker and his seven kids. Great retaliation for getting our 13 service members killed.
I guess you started counting US deaths after Jan 2021?
All hail pussygrabber!
I doubt that will happen, because it would undermine the logic of France’s coronavirus border rules.
Macron is a clown. He careless about diplomacy. His way of doing things is all for us and nothing for you. Congrats to the person who put this deal together. We know it was not Grandpa Joe. He only reads the notes handed to him.
Compared to the last guy who can’t even read
On the one hand, it’s France’s own fault for not seeing this coming. The Subs France were building were inferior and meant for coastal patrols as they do not have the range or ability for long missions. And they were overpriced. The Nuclear subs now being sold by the U.S. and G.B. are vastly superior with the ability for clandestine months long missions deep into the Pacific. Which is essential now to balance the Chinese, something that Macron had no desire for and, instead, prefers to kiss the ring of Xi.
On the other hand there could have been a basic courtesy in warning France ahead of time, or even allowing them some sort of small partnership in this for face saving.
Recalling your ambassador may be symbolic only but it’s quite a statement given U.S/French history. I agree with Matthew, there will be more, and a ban on Americans could very well be coming under the guise of Covid. Macron has the French people all worked up over this, so he would likely have strong support there.
Also, BoJo is starting to appear much smarter than people give him credit for. I don’t always agree with him, but it’s fascinating how Great Britain is being steered in a post Brexit world. Exactly as he said it would.
In my humble opinion as a geopolitical hobbyist, this is a calculated move by President Macron ahead of the 2022 French elections to shore up and approve his approval ratings, especially with the far right. He really had no choice to respond in this manner. Doing anything less would have exposed him to relegation by the French voters. He is pragmatic enough to know the US and France will ultimately kiss and make-up later.
What is also interesting to me is the fact that France did not recall their ambassador in the UK, who is a co-conspirator in this deal. The French and British have always been somewhat testy with each other – history and all. And, recently have had a dust up over the French purportedly winking as refugees paddle from France to the UK across the Channel.
Additionally, politically it has been a rather good week for President Macron. France “neutralized” a bad guy in the Sahel who allegedly planned the operation which killed French aid workers and Macron stood up to the US and the UK. That should translate into bumping him up substantially with the French electorate.
I don’t understand how long range US submarines will work in the Pacific to counter China’s growing presence. Won’t General Milley be telling the Chinese where the subs are at all times?
The Chinese can just ask Putin since the last guy told him all our secrets.
Seems more plausible than France / EU changing COVID-related entry requirements based on actual COVID patterns. Summer holiday travel season made a mockery of that. Would be few winners in further politicizing of health policy. Hopefully other countries don’t follow US down that rabbit hole.
Given how France is going completely batshit insane over this, I can see them banning Americans from visiting. That would, however, be pretty pointless. The US government has absolutely no interest in international travel at the moment, so the reaction from the White House would be, “So what? Go ahead, we don’t care.” Doing that would only deprive the French tourism industry of whatever revenue they may be getting from American travelers.
And even if the White House DID care, it is infinitely more important to counter the Communist Chinese than it is to soothe the French national ego.
I think it’s time we ban Americans from Europe in general. No offense, but I can’t bear anymore fatties or 5’6 guys in tracksuits who think they’re super cultured.
This goes for you “educated” (lol, try a European university) folks. If your idea of being ‘local’ here is Spaghettieis, I feel sorry for you.
@William Y.
Are you trying to promote European universities? European universities drastically pale in comparison to US universities. Everyone outside the US knows that, for example just ask Indian or Chinese students.
I will protest Macron b forgoing Brie, Foie Gras, Beaujolais, Champagne and French dressing. Belch!
US Americans should be banned from Europe as long as their own travel ban on Europeans is in place!!!
I’m not so sure they can justify “covid concerns” when our cases are trending sharply downwards, our vaccinations rates trending back up. As far as I know we don’t have a true variant of concern.
I think @Mike has the right of it. Macron needs to have some ammunition to defend against the hard right wing and exhibiting overstated outrage serves his purpose. Realistically, the USA subs are vastly superior in capability but will be many years away from being built since they’re going to be constructed in Oz.
@Matthew – There’s some serious racism in the comments. How do you balance free speech against that? It’s tough for sure but where do you draw the line?
France has a history of French Fuck-Ups LOL. What a bunch of dickheads, arrogant pricks. Not sure why anyone would go to Paris now anyway, it’s not the Paris I grew up with, now filthy, dirty, violent, dangerous and arrogance. I might as well be in Maputo or Johannesburg, much safer that the Paris shit hole
We should ban French Fries again America, bugger em.
Good. France will be a much chicer place.
Bad idea to predict and push by publishing actions that have not taken place. Cmon man. I’m on my way in a week. Don’t make it less likely by influencing public opinion.
Covid travel restrictions are not based on passport or citizenship and they never have been. They are based solely on where a traveler has physically spent the last period of time, 14 days in this case.
For the purpose of clickbait, you are attempting to conflate temporary, health-related measures with bilateral immigration agreements that have been negotiated/refined over many years. In the process, you are causing unnecessary panic and stress among prospective travelers.
As a travel blogger myself, I really wish individuals like you (who clearly don’t understand international relations, diplomacy, politics or law) would stick to talking about airplanes and street food. This is not the first time you have written an inaccurate, speculative and imbecilic article in this vein. But I do hope it will be the last.
I’ll put both my analysis and my credentials, including background in law and international relations, up against yours any day.
Just because the current approach is based upon where someone has been during the last 14 days does not mean France must adapt a similar approach.
Furthermore, the types of readers who are worried are those who have been in the USA for the last 14 days.
The politically-driven, opportunistic outrage of the French may indeed have practical consequences for travelers.
Next time, spare us your bloviation about subjects you fail to understand.
Thanks for reading.
I don’t think France will ban US citizens only because of AUKUS – there is a lack of reciprocity by the US, as EU citizens are not allowed into the USA as of right now. This – and the general Covid situation in the US – make a renewed blanked ban on US citizens probable without the geopolitical tension. AUKUS may however increase this probability.
Nevertheless, there are many more ways in which France can punish the US and Australia, even in issues unrelated to security. I’d watch French foreign policy in the coming years carefully to see how they frustrate US interests that do not match French interests. Likewise, the negotiations on the EU-Australia trade deal are likely to be in the heavy seas now as France will most likely attempt to torpedo those…
An interesting time!
I hope this doesn’t happen! We have students looking forward to studying in France this summer! 🙁