Emmanuel Macron said he was ready this Saturday “to go to the referendum” on the contested reform of the electoral body in New Caledonia, affected by riots since May 14.
Speaking to Le Parisien this Saturday, May 25, Emmanuel Macron said he was ready “to go to the referendum” on the contested reform of the electoral body in New Caledonia, affected by riots since May 14.
“I can go to the referendum at any time, since there is a conforming vote from the two assemblies”, he underlined, recalling however that his initial desire is for the New Caledonian elected officials to agree on “a global agreement which would enrich the text already voted by Parliament.
The separatists reject the reform
After a vote in the same terms by both chambers, the president can in fact choose, to ratify a constitutional reform, to convene a referendum or the Congress, that is to say the meeting of deputies and senators in Versailles.
It is this last option which was until then favored, while parliamentarians had to ratify this unfreezing of the electorate before the “end of June”, Emmanuel Macron indicated in mid-May.
But in the meantime the archipelago has experienced several days of riots which left seven dead, while the separatists reject this reform which would lead to the integration into the electorate of people living in the territory for at least 10 years. The Kanak fear that their influence will be diluted in this way.
“A gesture of appeasement”
This situation precipitated a lightning visit from President Macron, pressured by the opposition and part of his own camp to reject this Congress. A request which the Head of State did not accede to, while promising that there would be no “forceful passage” and giving one month to provide a progress update.
“I assume a gesture of appeasement and openness but I will never make a decision to postpone or suspend under the pressure of violence,” Emmanuel Macron reiterated to Le Parisien.
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The Head of State reiterated his desire for New Caledonian elected officials to agree on “a global agreement which would enrich the text already voted by Parliament”. A challenge when the dialogue between separatists and non-separatists seemed to be at a standstill at least until the arrival of Emmanuel Macron.
“We will have to live together again”
“They all gave me the commitment to resume the global discussion,” said Emmanuel Macron, estimating that “we cannot say that I did not give the maximum to give peace every chance.”
The head of state had thus opened the door to a vote by Caledonians on a potential agreement born from discussions between local elected officials. With the hope of reducing the tension which still remained high on Saturday. “Even if we reach the end of the violence, we will have to live together again. That’s the hardest part,” agreed Emmanuel Macron.
