Witnessing the melodramatic outpouring of Gallic histrionics at Australia’s surprise but masterstroke decision to ditch the overblown, over-budget and already over-time French submarine contract, in favour of making a pact with the two great Anglosphere powers, Britain and the United States is, frankly, galling. 

To hear Emmanuel Macron, his government and his ambassadors talk of ‘France being stabbed in the back,’ ‘betrayal’ and ‘we cannot trust Australia and the United States’ would be hilarious if it weren’t so serious.