TRIBUNE – After the riots in New Caledonia, the cyclone in Mayotte shows that the metropolis is only interested in its overseas territories when they catch fire, underlines the Belgian columnist. An old neglect which highlights the complexity of the relationship between France and the sea.
We recognize happiness by the noise it makes when leaving, believed Jacques Prévert. We could transpose his thinking overseas. France, the world's second largest maritime power (in area), neglects its overseas treasure. Worse, many of our fellow citizens are unaware of the oceanic influence of their own nation. When riots arise, when cyclones strike, these territories are reminded of the metropolis. Yes, the overseas ones can be recognized by the noise they make when they burst into flames, when they fly away. As the fevers and the wind calm down, the islands fall back into oblivion.
In Mayotte, devastated by the deadly cyclone Chido, President Emmanuel Macron came this Thursday to lend the help of the metropolis to his Indian Ocean department. The disaster adds to the many challenges of the overseas islands. France is seasick. Political crisis in New Caledonia, urban violence in Martinique, movement against the high cost of living in Guadeloupe… Overseas and their…
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