The French government proposes to open discussions on the autonomy of Guadeloupe while the island has been shaken by a large social movement for several weeks.
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“Autonomy is not the question of independence”, declared on France Inter Sunday November 28 Marc Fesneau, Minister in charge of relations with Parliament and citizen participation. The government proposes to open discussions on the autonomy of Guadeloupe while the island has been shaken by a large social movement for several weeks.
The government “does not say differently from what it says in other territories”, says the minister. Many elected “would like to exercise skills in closer proximity, and this is the question raised on the health issue.” According to Marc Fesneau, this question of autonomy should also be asked to address social and economic issues, in particular “a distortion of purchasing power compared to the metropolis and a very high unemployment rate, in particular among young people.”
The Minister recognizes that “it is not the same resonance” when we talk about autonomy in an ultra-marine territory “but it is the same will.” In some territories, he recalls that governments have given “autonomy in the management of skills, and that has never been linked to independence.”
Giving more autonomy to the territories must be accompanied by “form of liability”, said the minister. He asserts that we must ensure that “the competences given to local elected representatives are really exercised, that each takes its responsibilities”, citing in particular the issue of water still unresolved in Guadeloupe.
“The will expressed is a will for dialogue”, summarizes Marc Fesneau, who puts the restoration of confidence at the center of discussions. “Chlordecone in Guadeloupe has created a very heavy relationship of mistrust with the State that we undoubtedly underestimated at the time, this confidence must be restored.”