The Minister for Overseas France has failed in his mission to reach an agreement between the independentists and the non-independents. He returns to Paris.

Manuel Valls spent 10 days in New Caledonia trying to reach a political agreement between loyalists and independentists. Representatives of the political parties locked themselves away for three days in a luxury hotel in Bourail, in the center of Grande-Terre. These meetings were ironically dubbed a conclave. Caledonians were hoping for a political agreement. There will be none. The white smoke never came out of the chimney. Loyalists led by Sonia Backès and MP Nicolas Metzdorf wanted a sort of partition of the country into a federation within France. The idea was to have a loyalist region (with a European majority) separated from other regions with a Kanak majority. The State, the independentists and the centrists (Eveil Océanien, Calédonie ensemble) were opposed.

Disguised independence?

Emmanuel Macron’s minister has proposed another solution. Caledonia’s sovereignty would be shared with France. It’s a hybrid system that could be described as independence-association. Loyalists are opposed. They consider this solution to be independence in disguise.

This situation is very worrying. The Minister himself declared before the conclave that it was “an agreement or chaos”. Are we heading for chaos?

Economic chaos

The economy is in a state of crisis, with a wave of unemployment and many businesses whose sales have fallen by over 30% since last year’s riots (not to mention the numerous bankruptcies…). The situation is therefore very tense, and many Caledonians continue to leave their country.

Caledonians had hoped that a political agreement would boost confidence and investment. This is far from being the case. A follow-up committee has been set up to continue discussions in spite of everything!

The only thing we know is that the provincial elections to elect the local parliament will take place at the end of the year…

 

Photo: Minister Manuel Valls and French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc.