They arrived with Emmanuel Macron on May 21 in New Caledonia, but they remained there after the presidential trip. According to Politicothese three “qualified personalities” even learned that they were staying there when they went to New Caledonia.
There are three project managers: Éric Thiers, the constitutionalist, Frédéric Potier, former advisor to Manuel Valls and head of Dilcrah (the Interministerial Delegation for the Fight against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Anti-LGBT Hate), between 2017 and 2021, and finally the prefect of Doubs, Rémi Bastille, previously advisor to the Minister of Overseas Annick Girardin and Secretary General of the High Commission of the Republic of New Caledonia between 2020 and 2022.
The President of the Republic had charged these three senior officials to renew dialogue between the different parties, between separatists and loyalists. A loyalist elected official from the archipelago confirms having met them “the first week of their presence in New Caledonia”. “But no exchange since,” he adds.
Emmanuel Macron had given these senior officials one month to “return to calm and take stock”. It is clear that tensions are still high on the archipelago. “This calendar no longer makes sense. We understand that this is no longer relevant at all for the President of the Republic and the government,” explains the loyalist camp.
“We returned to Paris,” comments one of these three senior officials, “we reported directly to Emmanuel Macron. No report is planned at this stage,” explains one of the three mediators. “The mission is on de facto stand-by”, we analyze among non-independenceists.
