Macron visits New Caledonia to resolve crisis in unstable French territory
Kyiv • UNN
French President Emmanuel Macron has made a 25-hour flight to New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific, to regain control of the crisis sparked by violent protests against voting rights and independence demands.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron set off on a 25-hour flight to New Caledonia to regain control of the crisis that arose after a violent uprising on French territory. UNN writes about this with reference to Politico.
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The archipelago, located in the South Pacific Ocean 15 thousand kilometers from France , has become a top priority for the government in Paris after a week of violent proteststhat killed six people.
Although violence has declined in recent days after the French state enlisted thousands of additional police and military personnel, tensions between supporters of New Caledonia's independence and those loyal to France remain at their highest level in decades.
According to Prime Minister Gabriel Natalia, the situation is "tense and unstable.
The situation is" improving", but remains"tense and fragile". We must continue to take measures to lift the blockade and restore control over all areas
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The protests were sparked by a vote in the French National Assembly to allow all citizens living in New Caledonia for more than 10 years to elect a local legislature. Until now, only citizens who settled in the archipelago before 1998, when the French government began the process of self-determination of New Caledonia, or their descendants, had the right to vote in these elections.
Supporters of independence argue that expanding the electoral Corps will further reduce the influence of the indigenous Kanak population, whose share has declined since France took control of the territory more than 170 years ago. Supporters of the Reform see it as a democratic necessity, emphasizing that the current rules deprive even some citizens born in New Caledonia of the right to vote.
The amendments require amendments to the Constitution, and therefore must be approved by the legislators of both Houses of the French parliament during a special session.
