- France
- French Politics
On a landmark visit following three referendums that have rejected secession, the French president said in a speech on Wednesday: 'New Caledonia is French because it has chosen to be French.'
Le Monde with AFP
2 min read
- Share
- Share on Facebook
- Share by email
- Share on Linkedin
President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, July 26, that separatist sentiment could lead to violence in New Caledonia, as he urged the pro-independence camp to accept a string of votes to stay part of France. On a landmark visit following three referendums that have rejected secession − the latest hotly disputed by the indigenous Kanak pro-independence population − Macron insisted the Pacific archipelago's future was within France.
Read more Subscribers only Macron visits New Caledonia to push agreement on territory's future
"Taking refuge in separatism actually means choosing the risk of violence today or tomorrow," the president said, in a land that was rocked by violent pro-independence protests in the 1980s. France vowed in the Nouméa Accord of 1998 to gradually give more political power to its territory.
Under the agreement, New Caledonia held three referendums in the past five years over its ties with France − all rejecting independence. In the first two, the vote was between 53% and 57% in favor of remaining part of France. But pro-independence Kanaks boycotted the third and last referendum in December 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic − and they rejected its 97% vote against independence.
"After these three referendums, I do not underestimate the disappointed hopes of those who backed a completely different project," Macron told a gathering at a square in the capital Nouméa. "But I say to them all, together we all have to have the grace to accept these results and to build the future together."
'Personally hurt'
The French leader said he was proud the votes had been carried out: "The three referendums took place. New Caledonia is French because it has chosen to be French. I will also be with you all and the president of a new project I want to build with you − that of New Caledonia in the Republic."
Read more Subscribers only New Caledonia, the stone in French diplomacy's shoe
The president said he wanted a revised constitutional status for New Caledonia to be in place by the beginning of 2024. He vowed there would be "no backtracking" and "no standstill." Macron had been due to meet earlier in the day with pro- and anti-independence camps to discuss a future for the nickel-rich South Pacific territory of nearly 300,000 people.
But the French leader said he was "personally hurt" by the absence of some pro-independence representatives at the meeting. Negotiations on a new constitutional status for the territory have been bogged down, notably over the voting system, with a future path for self-determination also up in the air.
Macron is at the same time seeking to reassert his country's importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence but France has territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia. After his 48-hour stop in New Caledonia, Macron is to make the first visits by a sitting French president to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, where he is expected to lay out a "French alternative" for the region.
Macron has had to reassemble a Pacific strategy since Australia in 2021 tore up a deal for France to provide a fleet of diesel-powered submarines, opting instead for US- and British-built nuclear-powered vessels.
Read more Subscribers only Pro-independence party's victory in French Polynesia complicates France's Indo-Pacific strategy
Le Monde with AFP
Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil.
Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil.
Découvrir les offres multicomptes-
Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil.
Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur, téléphone ou tablette).
-
Comment ne plus voir ce message ?
En cliquant sur «» et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte.
-
Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici ?
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil. Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte.
-
Y a-t-il d’autres limites ?
Non. Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez, mais en les utilisant à des moments différents.
-
Vous ignorez qui est l’autre personne ?
Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe.
Lecture restreinte
Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article
Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter notre service commercial.