Gérald Darmanin is in New Caledonia for the third time this year. One of Emmanuel Macron’s key ministers, the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories is in Caledonia. He is in Caledonia to try to break the deadlock between the independentists and the loyalists. The two camps are negotiating the institutional future of Caledonia. Gérald Darmanin’s statement came as a bombshell. “We need to give the Kanak world an even stronger place in the institutions”, he declared before the customary senators on Friday 24th. It remains to be seen what this phrase means. The customary senators have proposed that the customary senate should have more power. They want them to become a second parliamentary chamber. Other ideas were shared between the French government minister and local politicians. We’re moving at a snail’s pace, but we’re making progress… at last.
Photo: Gérald Darmanin (left), Minister of the Interior in Emmanuel Macron’s government, and Victor Gogny, President of the Customary Senate.
