On Friday 8 September, French President Emmanuel Macron met a delegation of independentists and non-independents at the Élysée Palace.
The Head of State spoke of the need to reach an agreement “to embark fully on the path of forgiveness and the future”. In his view, we need to “recognise each other’s histories” and “go further” in the economic and social development of New Caledonia with “major investments”.
Defining New Caledonian citizenship
The aim is to reach a political agreement between independentists and non-independents on future institutions. One of the issues discussed was defining as precisely as possible the conditions for access to New Caledonian citizenship. The nickel issue was also discussed at length. The delegations remain discreet about the content of the discussions. They will return to New Caledonia this weekend to report back to their activists.
Progress is being made, slowly but surely…
The delegations have agreed to meet again and “continue to work” with the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, who will be visiting New Caledonia at the end of October. “We have the feeling that things are moving forward. We’re going to get down to work”, said Victor Tutugoro, a member of the Front de libération kanak socialiste (FLNKS) delegation. He also told Agence France Presse (AFP) that the real negotiations will begin at the end of October.
Things are moving slowly, as is often the case in New Caledonia, but they are moving forward…
Photo : Le président de la république Emmanuel Macron au centre et Louis Mapoun présidence du gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie à droite.
