World News: French President Carefully Handles New Caledonia Question

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Category: World News
Published on Wednesday, 22 May 2024 10:33
Written by Olivier Longhi

French President Emmanuel Macron's express trip to New Caledonia is intended to have a double meaning: to confirm the island's belonging to the Republic and to recall how much France remains attached to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific.

To say that the New Caledonian question has poisoned political life for more than thirty years is an understatement. Perhaps, among other reasons, this is why the President of the Republic personally visited the Pacific Island to assess the situation as closely as possible, trying not to irritate any party involved as the rumblings from island nation's longing for independence have reverberated to the Élysée.

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The exercise is proving to be delicate because as President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron embodies and represents everything that the demonstrators opposed to the electoral reform project applied to New Caledonia hate: the authority of a distant Republic more interested in the natural resources of the island than in its own future.

Because it is important not to be mistaken here: if mainland France is so attached to New Caledonia, it is first and foremost because of the nickel that the Caillou soil is full of, an ore that China, which is particularly present in the region, also covets. However, nickel and its economy have been in some crisis for several years and New Caledonia is suffering from a difficult economic situation precisely linked to the setbacks encountered by a raw material that is poorly appreciated on the international markets.

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Strategic Anchor Point

Beyond the economic and financial argument, the question of France's presence in a region of the world dominated by Chinese and North American influence also emerges. New Caledonia represents a strategic anchor in the Indo-Pacific region that France intends to preserve, even if it means being accused of post-colonialism.

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The electoral reform, now contested by the endogenous populations of the island, does not go in any other direction since it intends to favor newcomers to the island who are in favor of keeping it in the bosom of the Republic. Thus, for Paris, the independence process initiated at the end of the nineties by the Nouméa Accord (1998), is over, in view of the results of the last referendum in December 2021, which ratified by 96.5% the no to the independence and full sovereignty of the island.

Arguing the need to restore order on the territory of the Republic while engaging in dialogue with the refractory parties, President Emmanuel Macron, by his presence, intends to confirm the island's belonging to France and sweeps away the new independence aspirations, not so much with regard to the New Caledonian population as to the regional powers, starting with China.

 

After Xi Jinping's somewhat successful state visit to France, it was up to President Macron to regain control of diplomatic and economic affairs in the face of the greedy and merciless Middle Kingdom. And now the question is, will the operation be a success?

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Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.

 

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