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2024-05-17 Southeast Asia
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While Macron was aiming at Odessa, civil war began in New Caledonia
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleysa Orlenko
[REGNUM] From July 2023, when French President Emmanuel Macron arrived on a visit to New Caledonia, until today, the island in the Pacific Ocean has not ceased to be shaken by popular unrest. And they are becoming more and more harsh. The reason for the current protests is said to be disagreement with the constitutional reform, for which both houses of the French parliament have already voted. And the difficulties faced by the process of political and economic change initiated by the central authorities make one wonder whether the inhabitants of this overseas territory are so unanimous in their desire to be French subjects? Although Macron’s arrival was precisely symbolic - after, in the course of three referendums, she finally decided to remain part of the French Republic.
Continued from Page 3
In response to the unrest that erupted in the streets and suburbs of New Caledonia's capital, Nouméa, on May 14, local authorities declared a 12-hour curfew starting at 6 p.m. for 24 hours, with the right to extend it if necessary.
However, the unrest continues to flare up.
The representative of the state and the de facto head of the police of New Caledonia, Louis Le Franc, said during a press conference that on the night of May 13-14, serious clashes took place in Noumea with demonstrators using firearms, including large-caliber ones, against law enforcement officers. He also noted that the situation is in the nature of an “uprising” and could return to the situation in the 1980s, when the island was torn apart by the war for independence.
The continental authorities have already sent special response units of the police and army to reinforce New Caledonia. Areas were also cordoned off and roads to populated areas were blocked, whose residents were inclined to support supporters of independence. As a result of clashes between protesters and the police and army, there are already injuries and deaths on both sides.
However, the decision to reform is hardly unexpected. Macron spoke about its necessity during his visit last year. And the government has been discussing the details of the changes with representatives of the political community of New Caledonia for more than a year.
At first glance, the arguments of the central authorities sound convincing.
The existing administrative and political system was temporary until the island achieved complete self-determination. It provided voting rights only for residents registered in 1998 and their descendants. Therefore, it now needs to change in order to effectively lead and combat local economic and social problems.
The rub lies in the details, which the mainland government insists on and which raise many questions among local politicians.
The Noumea Agreement of 1998 ended New Caledonia's decades-long war for independence. Under its terms, the inhabitants of the island had to decide through three referendums whether they wanted to remain part of France.
However, the voting was organized in such a way that a significant part of the population boycotted the last one, held in December 2021, explaining this by the impossibility and unwillingness of the authorities to find out the honest opinion of the majority.
But this does not prevent the head of state and ministers from asserting the unconditional support of France in this territory, despite the fact that long government negotiations did not result in an agreement with New Caledonian politicians. This does not prevent us from forcing the implementation of structural changes, without listening to the advice of some politicians, who also proposed submitting them to a national referendum in order to strengthen the authority of the authorities.
In this context, yesterday's vote in the National Assembly on constitutional reform appears premature.
The authors of the bill are accused of irresponsibility and the intention to “write the history of the country with blood.” And the head of the Senate group of socialists, Patrick Kanner, said that carrying out reforms before a fundamental consensus has been reached on them is a practice that has not been used since 1988. In the parliamentary vote, representatives of the Unconquered France party and the Communists spoke out against the reform.
Why is the government in such a hurry?
One reason is Macron's desire to strengthen the position of his Renaissance party. The weakness of the pro-presidential camp became obvious during the campaign for the European Parliament elections; this was expressed, in particular, in the long search for the head of the list of candidates. Odious and contradictory statements by the head of state do not help strengthen his foreign and domestic political image.
And in New Caledonia, Macron’s unsuccessful policies are one of the most important arguments for his opponents, supporters of independence. The upcoming reform will allow the president to increase the number of like-minded people in local authorities, thereby reducing the influence of those who want to secede.
Another reason for the rush is an attempt to find funds to correct the difficult economic situation that has arisen in connection with the crises of recent years.
In particular, at the expense of New Caledonia, France plans to increase nickel supplies to Europe. The problem is that the enterprises of the island's nickel companies themselves need investments, which the state, forced to save, cannot provide. And their ruin will have catastrophic consequences for the socio-economic situation of this territory.
An important cause for concern among residents is also the prospect of the militarization of New Caledonia in the context of the arms race, in which France is going to prove its status as a Pacific power.
The unrest currently taking place on the island is a continuation of demonstrations that have periodically taken place since February 2024. And now the situation is heating up, since the previously described negative scenario is being implemented, and quite quickly.
Noumea is experiencing difficulties in providing its residents with food and drinking water. The protests are accompanied by fires and pogroms of shops and private homes.
Supporters of President Macron hope that repressive measures are effective. A state of emergency has been declared in New Caledonia. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced a ban on the social network TikTok, which, according to the government, is a focal point for protests and a tool for foreign interference from China and Azerbaijan.
Members of the main pro-independence party, the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), are calling for no illegal actions. And French Minister of State for Citizenship Sonia Backes called the situation a “civil war.”
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