French Minister Wraps Up New Caledonia Talks, Will Return Late March

Monday, 3 March 2025, 9:22 pm
Article: RNZ

Patrick Decloitre, Correspondent French Pacific Desk

French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls left New Caledonia on Saturday after a one-week stay which was marked by the resumption of inclusive political talks on the French territory's future.

He has now submitted a "synthetical" working document to be discussed further and promised he would return later this month.

During his week-long visit, Valls had taken time to meet New Caledonia's main stakeholders, including political, economic, education, health, and civil society leaders.

He has confirmed France's main pillars for its assistance to New Caledonia, nine months after deadly and destructive riots broke out, leaving 14 dead, several hundred businesses destroyed, and thousands of job losses for a total estimated damage of €2.2 billion.

The French aid confirmed so far mainly consisted of a loan of up to €1b as well as grants to rebuild all damaged schools and some public buildings.

Valls also announced French funding to pay unemployment benefits (which were to expire at the end of this month) were now to be extended until the end of June.

However, the main feature of his stay, widely regarded as the major achievement, was to manage to gather all political tendencies (both pro-independence and those in favour of New Caledonia remaining a part of France) around the same table.

The initial talks were first held at New Caledonia's Congress on 24 February.

Two days later, it was at the French High commission that talks resumed between Wednesday and Friday last week, in the form of "tripartite" discussions between pro-France, pro-independence local parties and the French State.

As some, especially the pro-independence umbrella FLNKS, insisted that those sessions were "discussions", not "negotiations", there was a general feeling that all participants now seemed to recognise the virtues of the exchanges and that they had at least managed to openly and frankly confront their respective views.

Valls, who shared a feeling of relative success in view of what he described as a sense of "historic responsibility" from political stakeholders, even extended his stay by 24 hours.

Speaking at the weekend, he said he had now left all parties with a document that is now supposed to synthesise all views expressed and the main items remaining to be further discussed.

'A situation no longer sustainable'

"Political deadlocks, economic and social stagnation, violence, fear, and the lack of prospects for the territory's inhabitants create a situation that is no longer sustainable. Everyone agrees on this observation", the document states.

A cautiously hopeful Valls said views would continue to be exchanged, sometimes by video conference.

Taking part in the same visit last week was also a special advisor to French Prime Minister François Bayrou, Eric Thiers.

Valls also stressed he would return to New Caledonia sometime later this month, maybe on 22 or 23 March, depending on how talks and remote exchanges were going to evolve.

In the meantime, the shared document was to be subjected to as many amendments and suggestions as necessary in order to take the shape of a fit-enough basis for a compromise acceptable by all.

The work-in-progress document details a wide range of subjects, such as self-determination, the relationship with France, the transfer of powers, who would be in charge of international relations, independence, a future system of governance (including the organisation of the three provinces), the electoral roll for local elections, the notion of citizenship (with a proposed system of "points-based" accession system), all these under the generic notion of "shared destiny".

There was also a form of consensus on the fact that if a future text was to be submitted to popular approval by way of a referendum, it should not be based on a binary "yes" or "no" alternative, but on a comprehensive, wide-ranging "project".

On each of those topics, the draft takes into account the different and sometimes opposing views expressed and enumerates a number of possible options and scenarios.

Based on this draft working document, the next round of talks would lead to a new agreement that is supposed to replace and offer a continuation to the ageing Nouméa Accord, signed in 1998 and install a new roadmap for New Caledonia's future.

As part of discussions, another topic was the future of New Caledonia's great council of chiefs, the Customary Senate, and possible changes from its until-now consultative status to a more executive role to turn New Caledonia's legislative system from a Congress-only system to a bicameral one (with a Congress-Parliament and a chiefly Senate).

Struggling nickel mining industry

The very sensitive question of New Caledonia's nickel mining industry was also discussed, as the crucial industry, a very significant pillar of the economy, is undergoing its worst crisis.

Since August 2024, one of its three factories and smelters, Koniambo (KNS) (North of the main island) has been mothballed and is still up for sale after its majority financier, Anglo-Swiss Glencore, decided to withdraw after over a decade of losses (to the tune of over 13 billion Euros).

Another nickel-producing unit, in the South, Prony, is currently engaged in negotiations with potential investing companies, one South-African, one Emirati and one Indian.

And New Caledonia's historic nickel miner, Société le Nickel (SLN, a subsidiary of French giant Eramet), is still facing major hurdles to resume exploitation as it struggles to regain access to its mining sites.

The situation was compounded by a changing competition pattern on the world scale, New Caledonia's production prices being too high and Indonesia now clearly emerging as a world leader, producing much cheaper first-class nickel and in greater quantities.

'A new nickel strategy is needed', Valls says

While political parties involved in the talks (all parties represented at the Congress) remained tight-lipped and media-elusive throughout last week, they recognised a spirit of "constructive talks" with the shared goal of "listening to each other ('s view)".

Yet, the views remain radically opposed, even irreconcilable: pro-independence supporters' most clear-cut positions (notably that from the Union Calédonienne) consist in a demand for a quick, full independence, with a "Kanaky Accord" to be signed this year, to be followed by a five-year "transition" period.

On the pro-France side, one of the main bones of contention, defended by the two main parties (Les Loyalistes and Rassemblement-LR) is to affirm that their determination to maintain New Caledonia a part of France has been confirmed by three referenda (in 2018, 2020 and 2021) on self-determination.

Pro-independence parties argue, however, that the third and last referendum, in December 2021, was boycotted by the pro-independence movement and that it is not legitimate, even though it was legally ruled valid.

They are also advocating for significant changes to be made in the way the three provinces are managed, a system described as "internal federalism" but decried by opponents as a form of sepatarism.

In the pro-France camp, the Calédonie Ensemble party holds relatively more open views.

Still in-between, more moderate pro-independence parties (PALIKA and UMP) are more in favour of a future status revolving around the notion of "independence in association with France".

"At least no one slammed the door"

"At least no one slammed the door and that, already, is a good thing, pro-France leader and French MP Nicolas Metzdorf briefly commented.

"We're still a long way away from a political compromise, but we have stopped moving further away from it", he said, giving credit to Vall's approach.

Valls, on his part, stressed that he did not want to rush things in order to "maintain the thread" of talks, but that provincial elections were scheduled to take place no later than 30 October 2025.

"I don't want to force things, I don't want to break the thread...sometimes, we wanted to rush things, and that's why it didn't work," he elaborated, in a direct reference to numerous and unsuccessful attempts by previous French governments, since 2022, to kick-start the comprehensive talks.

"Some work will be done by videoconference. I will always take my responsibilities, because we have to move forward", Valls told public broadcaster NC la 1ère.

He said France would then return with its proposals and offers.

"And we will take our responsibilities. The debate cannot last for months and months. We respect everyone, but we have to move forward. There is no deadline, but we all know that there are provincial elections."

Those elections (initially scheduled in May 2024 and then in December 2024) have already been postponed twice.

They are supposed to elect the members of New Caledonia's three provinces (North, South and Loyalty Islands), which, in turn, has direct consequences on the make-up of the territory's Congress and, further down, on the proportional makeup of the government and the nomination of its President.

All parties involved are now to meet with their respective "bases" (supporters) to answer to them in detail and get their go-ahead and mandate to pursue talks further into negotiations proper.

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