French minister for Overseas François-Noël Buffet meets business leader Nicolas Guesdon, whose hardware company was completely looted and destroyed by fire in May 2024. Photo: RRB
Analysis
New Caledonia is the centre of attention in Paris and in the Pacific region, after French overseas minister François-Noël Buffet returned from a four-day visit.
The French Pacific archipelago was on the agenda of a top meeting in Paris on Tuesday evening (Paris time).
It was chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, the President of the National Assembly (Lower House) Yaël Braun-Pivet, the President of the Senate (Upper House) Gérard Larcher as well as French Overseas minister François-Noël Buffet.
Buffet has just returned from a four-day mission in New Caledonia, where his main objective was to confirm France's support to the riot-hit French archipelago, but also "take the time to meet, listen" and restore political dialogue in view of further talks on New Caledonia's long-term political future.
After meeting local parties, both pro-independence and pro-France (loyalists), views conveyed to him have expressed a general desire to resume those talks, some saying they could be in favour of a kind of Cook Islands/New Zealand-style future "independence-association" with France.
Veteran Pacific journalist assesses the state of New Caledonia
"The path is obviously narrow...but it is possible," Buffet said in a statement.
"New Caledonia's stability not only relies on institutional reforms, but also on deeper reforms in order to improve public services, reduce inequalities, diversify the economy with special attention to health, and public policies in terms of education, housing and a better insertion of the youths."
As a controversial Constitutional amendment that was deemed to have largely contributed to igniting the riots that started on 13 May, this approach is now confirmed to have been abandoned.
The Constitution approach was to change the conditions of eligibility for people allowed to vote at the local provincial elections, a move that the pro-independence movement saw as a way of diluting the indigenous Kanak votes.
The amendment would have allowed French citizens who are born or have resided in New Caledonia for an uninterrupted ten years to take part in those local elections, whereas the electoral roll for these elections is currently restricted to persons born or having resided in New Caledonia not later than 1998.
French Overseas Minister in Noumea
Instead, although the sensitive issue remains on a more general agenda, it will have to be tackled in a different manner, less time-restrained, as part of wider and inclusive talks between political players from across the spectrum.
Those talks are expected to produce what could then become a successor to the Nouméa Agreement signed in 1998.
On Tuesday, New Caledonia's congress endorsed by a near-majority (47 for, 1 against, 2 abstentions) the postponement of provincial elections which were initially scheduled to take place not later than mid-December this year.
Most MPs explained after the vote that Buffet's visit and talks had largely contributed to a sense of trust about the new process, despite a mixed reception to his comments.
This effectively means the Congress and provincial assemblies (South, North and Loyalty Islands) members elected since 2019 remain in place.
This was to allow more time for those inclusive talks to take place locally, with a new provincial election deadline fixed at no later than 30 November 2025.
The move is expected to be endorsed by the French Parliament in the coming days - on 23 October for the Senate and on 6 November for the National Assembly.
After the Buffet mission, last week, several other significant meetings and travels are on the schedule for New Caledonia.
In the next few days, both French National Assembly and Senate Presidents are to head a high-level delegation to New Caledonia.
Macron has also expressed the wish to host a meeting with New Caledonia's political leaders in the course of November.
Meanwhile, in the next few days also, a top-level delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum is expected to arrive in New Caledonia as part of a fact-finding mission.
New Caledonia's President Louis Mapou told public broadcaster NC la 1ère the troika - a group of leaders - is coming from 27-29 October.
"They will meet as many people as possible so that they can form their own opinion."
Curfew maintained
Meanwhile, the curfew in New Caledonia remains in force from 10pm to 5am, at least until 4 November, the French High Commission announced at the weekend.
This also includes a ban on possession, purchase and transportation of firearms and ammunition, as well as a ban on public meetings and demonstrations in the Greater Nouméa area.
The sale of alcohol is also restricted.
One of the remaining hotspots in New Caledonia, in the village of Saint Louis (near the capital Nouméa), is also subject to special attention.
It remains under heavy security, because the main provincial road (Route Provinciale 1) passing through this area is still deemed unsafe, due to stone-throwing and sometimes "car jackings".
After attempts by the French gendarmes to re-open this road portion, which resulted in more car jackings and assaults, it has been decided to introduce a new system of "escorted" passages for cars at certain hours of the day.
The setup involves a heavy presence of gendarmes and armoured vehicles.
French gendarmeries in New Caledonia Commander, General Nicolas Mattéos, told local Caledonia TV: "We're maintaining this setup to ensure the safety of road users and this looks like this will last a while."
On the other side of the road, in the other part of the town of Mont-Dore, an alternative system of ferry transport by sea has gradually developed since July, in order to allow residents to travel to the capital, on the other side of the bay.