May 23. () –
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, arrived this Thursday in New Caledonia to address the crisis unleashed in the territory as a result of the proposed constitutional reform that would allow French citizens to vote in local elections, which has resulted in six deaths. , two of them gendarmes, and 280 detainees.
Upon his arrival, he declared that “his wish” with the ministers and “the entire Government” is to be “at the side of the population and so that there is a return to peace, calm and security as soon as possible.” “This is the top priority,” she stated, before specifying that it comes with “a lot of respect and humility.”
The French president, who has observed a minute of silence for the six dead, has assured that he has “no time limits” in the territory and has stated that “at the end of the day decisions will be made and announcements will be made.” “Many people are suffering from a situation of great crisis (since the beginning of the unrest),” he said.
Subsequently, he indicated that the soldiers deployed as reinforcements will remain on the islands for “as long as necessary”, including during the Olympic Games, which take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11. Furthermore, he has indicated that he does not want the renewal of the state of emergency, but has asked the political forces to “clearly” request the lifting of the blockades, the BFMTV television network reported.
The conflict broke out on May 13 after the debate in the French Parliament on an electoral reform that grants the vote to French citizens. The text, finally approved and which Macron wants to ratify next month, proposes the right to vote for French citizens who have been residing in the territory for at least ten years.
The Kanaks, and especially the independence alliance of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), have denounced the proposal as a blow to their aspirations at a particularly critical moment in relations with France, after the alliance boycotted the last independence referendum of 2021, which ended in victory for the unionists.
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