Emmanuel Macron launches torpedo strike at Australia during conversation with Scott Morrison

Emmanuel Macron’s phone call to Scott Morrison had the precision of a torpedo.

Word of the conversation broke as the Prime Minister’s plane passed through Australia en route to the G20 summit in Rome.

It has been weeks since Australia sank a $ 90 billion submarine contract with France, but judging by the tone of the conversation – at least according to a reading from the Elysee Palace – the fury of the French president did not cool down.

President Macron told the Prime Minister that “Australia’s unilateral decision” to break the contract “has broken the relationship of trust between our two countries.”

The president said Australia must come up with “tangible” actions to “redefine” bilateral relations – as well as the two countries’ cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Tellingly, given that the Prime Minister is already on the defensive against his government’s climate change commitments, the President said he had encouraged Mr Morrison to adopt emissions reduction measures “to match the mark. of the climate challenge “and to stop the production and consumption of charcoal.

This is a deliberate strike by the French president against the prime minister’s carbon credentials on the eve of climate talks in Glasgow next week.

The prime minister’s office said the prime minister was delighted to meet with the French president.

But it’s already clear that there is a lot of work involved in healing the relationship.

Ninety billion dollars in repairs, to be precise.