France’s second and third highest officials in New Caledonia

13 Nov, 2024 | Area, Economy, New Caledonia, Politics

France’s second and third highest officials in New Caledonia

Gerard Larcher, President of the French Senate, and Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, are in New Caledonia on a mission of dialogue.

These two high-ranking officials of the French state are seeking to do what French President Emmanuel Macron has failed to do: pick up the pieces of a shattered New Caledonia.Last May, riots ravaged entire districts of Grand-Nouméa. The result was the biggest economic crisis Caledonia has ever seen. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed. Thirteen people were killed. The crisis followed the French President’s refusal to withdraw his plan to unfreeze the electoral body. The idea was to allow recently arrived French citizens from mainland France to vote in local elections. The independentists were opposed. They feared being “drowned” by immigration from France. For them, it was a form of “recolonization” of New Caledonia.

Independence-association with France

After the riots, the draft text was finally withdrawn. Gerard Larcher and Yaël Braun-Pivet spent three days meeting political leaders from all parties. The road to agreement is still long, but the mood is now serene. The two parliamentarians spoke of “shared sovereignty”. This suggests that Caledonia is moving towards greater autonomy. It could even be a kind of “independence-association”, rather like that of the Cook Islands with New Zealand. Others speak of federalism. Several pro-independence and non-independence parties are in favor of this solution. What remains to be done is to convince the most right-wing of the loyalists, embodied by Sonia Backès, and the most pro-independence members of the Union calédonienne.Meanwhile, the pro-independence leaders considered responsible for the riots are awaiting trial in French prisons…

Fight against inequalities, recovery plan and France in Louis Mapou’s general policy statement Two weeks before the third and final referendum on independence, Louis Mapou, the President of the 17th government of New Caledonia, delivered his general policy statement on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at the Tjibaou Cultural Center in Nouméa. An historical moment for many reasons. Premieres It’s the first time that a general policy statement has been delivered in this place, named after Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a man and political figure whose life and action have remained intimately linked to New Caledonia’s recent history. It’s also the first time that an independentist leader presides the collegiate government, a unique institution in the French Republic, created under the Nouméa Accord on May 5, 1998. And finally, this 17th government of New Caledonia is likely the last of the Nouméa Accord. Growth and inequalities The Nouméa Accord, which extended the principle of rebalancing established in the Matignon Accord of 1988 (with the training of Caledonian executives but also an economic rebalancing between the three provinces, notably marked by the creation of a nickel factory and infrastructures in the North province), has been a period of extraordinary growth for the territory. But these three decades have also seen the disparities in inequality or wealth widen. « I said it, I repeat it, between the poorest and the richest in France, ratio of 1 to 4, here, it’s 1 to 10 », had underlined Sébastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Overseas, in Nouméa, on October 18 th, just before leaving New Caledonia for mainland France. “ Bond of belonging” In his general policy statement, President Louis Mapou thus made the fight against inequalities the « Great cause » of his mandate. « Inequalities are everywhere, he said: at school, at work, in access to housing, in front of the store stall, in the exercise of custom. The Covid-19 health crisis has reaffirmed its acuteness. » This fight against inequalities is a prerequisite for all communities living together, which involves building everyone’s « bond of belonging » to New Caledonia. A country for everyone « There is a place for everyone in New Caledonia. For the Kanak people, but also for all those who have arrived since then, » said President Mapou. Who believes that « the various claims of legitimacy formulated towards New Caledonia must now give way to a process of responsibility which transcends them, that of participating in the construction of the central pole – refering to the kanak hut – of a new New Caledonia which is at the rendezvous of its history. But we must beware of any political, ideological or cultural approach which advocates the dilution of one identity into another and which creates a nest of institutional instabilities. » In his speech, Louis Mapou added that the government intends to « support the process of historical and identity appropriation initiated by valuing the contribution of all communities to history, identity and culture, to strengthen the central pole from New Caledonia ». In addition, after the most serious health crisis that the country has ever known, with more than 12,000 positive cases of Covid-19 and 276 deaths, the President of the 17th government presented emergency measures concerning the control of the functioning expenditure of New Caledonia and its public establishments. As well as a recovery plan for New Caledonia’s economic activity, driven by the determination of a true ecological transition. More Pacific and a new relationship with France Finally, President Mapou spoke of New Caledonia’s desire for greater integration into the Pacific region, as well as its « historical, cultural and linguistic » relationship with France. « It is quite natural that this cooperation in the Pacific evolves and is strengthened », affirmed Louis Mapou, before calling for « to engage with the French State, very quickly, a discussion on all the subjects on which it is necessary to renovate the sharing of skills with New Caledonia ». This general policy statement by President Mapou is part of a period that goes until June 2024, ending date of the provincial mandate in New Caledonia.

Fight against inequalities, recovery plan and France in Louis Mapou’s general policy statement Two weeks before the third and final referendum on independence, Louis Mapou, the President of the 17th government of New Caledonia, delivered his general policy statement on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at the Tjibaou Cultural Center in Nouméa. An historical moment for many reasons. Premieres It’s the first time that a general policy statement has been delivered in this place, named after Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a man and political figure whose life and action have remained intimately linked to New Caledonia’s recent history. It’s also the first time that an independentist leader presides the collegiate government, a unique institution in the French Republic, created under the Nouméa Accord on May 5, 1998. And finally, this 17th government of New Caledonia is likely the last of the Nouméa Accord. Growth and inequalities The Nouméa Accord, which extended the principle of rebalancing established in the Matignon Accord of 1988 (with the training of Caledonian executives but also an economic rebalancing between the three provinces, notably marked by the creation of a nickel factory and infrastructures in the North province), has been a period of extraordinary growth for the territory. But these three decades have also seen the disparities in inequality or wealth widen. « I said it, I repeat it, between the poorest and the richest in France, ratio of 1 to 4, here, it’s 1 to 10 », had underlined Sébastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Overseas, in Nouméa, on October 18 th, just before leaving New Caledonia for mainland France. “ Bond of belonging” In his general policy statement, President Louis Mapou thus made the fight against inequalities the « Great cause » of his mandate. « Inequalities are everywhere, he said: at school, at work, in access to housing, in front of the store stall, in the exercise of custom. The Covid-19 health crisis has reaffirmed its acuteness. » This fight against inequalities is a prerequisite for all communities living together, which involves building everyone’s « bond of belonging » to New Caledonia. A country for everyone « There is a place for everyone in New Caledonia. For the Kanak people, but also for all those who have arrived since then, » said President Mapou. Who believes that « the various claims of legitimacy formulated towards New Caledonia must now give way to a process of responsibility which transcends them, that of participating in the construction of the central pole – refering to the kanak hut – of a new New Caledonia which is at the rendezvous of its history. But we must beware of any political, ideological or cultural approach which advocates the dilution of one identity into another and which creates a nest of institutional instabilities. » In his speech, Louis Mapou added that the government intends to « support the process of historical and identity appropriation initiated by valuing the contribution of all communities to history, identity and culture, to strengthen the central pole from New Caledonia ». In addition, after the most serious health crisis that the country has ever known, with more than 12,000 positive cases of Covid-19 and 276 deaths, the President of the 17th government presented emergency measures concerning the control of the functioning expenditure of New Caledonia and its public establishments. As well as a recovery plan for New Caledonia’s economic activity, driven by the determination of a true ecological transition. More Pacific and a new relationship with France Finally, President Mapou spoke of New Caledonia’s desire for greater integration into the Pacific region, as well as its « historical, cultural and linguistic » relationship with France. « It is quite natural that this cooperation in the Pacific evolves and is strengthened », affirmed Louis Mapou, before calling for « to engage with the French State, very quickly, a discussion on all the subjects on which it is necessary to renovate the sharing of skills with New Caledonia ». This general policy statement by President Mapou is part of a period that goes until June 2024, ending date of the provincial mandate in New Caledonia.

December 2, 2021

Riots: curfew until July 1
The curfew is maintained in New Caledonia for a further week, from 8 pm to 6 am. Carrying and transporting weapons remains prohibited. The sale of alcohol also remains prohibited, except for wine merchants, who may only sell wine or champagne-type beverages with an alcohol content not exceeding 18%. Beer sales are still not permitted.

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