Greece is buying warplanes and frigates from France. Yet both sides are keen to show that this is more than just an arms contract
The Franco-Greek relationship has been forged in rivalry with Turkey, which last year squared off with Greek warships around Cyprus, and with French ones off Libya. An anti-Turkey bloc, including France, Greece, Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, has gradually taken shape. Mr Mitsotakis, eager to secure French support and bolster his own armed forces, had already agreed to buy 18 Rafale warplanes from France in January, at a cost of €2.5bn , and six more in September.
That is a boon for Greece’s navy, which has just 13 ageing frigates against Turkey’s newer fleet of 16. It is also a well-timed consolation prize for Naval Group, the majority-state-owned French arms firm which Australia turfed out of a lucrative submarine contract on September 15th as part of itspact with America and Britain. Naval Group is building the new frigates in Brittany; Greece is supposed to take delivery of its first in 2025.
Yet both sides were keen to show that this was no mere arms contract. “It strengthens…our strategic autonomy and our European sovereignty,” said Mr Macron. Mr Mitsotakis agreed that it was “the first bold step towards European strategic autonomy”. Mr Macron has long been fond of such language—often irritating his eastern European allies, who see it as antagonistic to America—but it has a particular resonance after.
Moreover, despite the rhetoric of European sovereignty and autonomy, the ever-closer alignment of France and Greece reflects theIn recent years both countries have grown frustrated with the bloc’s reluctance to put more pressure on Turkey. Germany, in particular, with its large Turkish diaspora and trade links, has been eager to water down such measures.
Germany is also selling advanced diesel-electric submarines to Turkey’s navy. So later this decade, a very European contest will play out in the Mediterranean: France’s finest frigates tracking Germany’s best submarines.This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "Paris Philhellenic"
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