Emmanuel Macron will leave on Tuesday evening to install “a mission” of dialogue there

The President of the Republic, who is due to arrive in Nouméa on Thursday morning, is expected to stay a day in the archipelago, according to his entourage. He will be accompanied by three ministers, including Gérald Darmanin.

Emmanuel Macron will surrender “from this [mardi] evening” in New Caledonia, shaken by an outbreak of violence, to install “a mission”, announced Tuesday, May 21, government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot, following the Council of Ministers. The President of the Republic leaves “in a spirit of responsibility”added the spokesperson, without detailing the “assignment” mentioned.

The President of the Republic is going to New Caledonia to “express solidarity with the Caledonians”, “thank the internal security forces” And “the armed forces to allow the return of republican order”, specifies his entourage. According to this same source, Emmanuel Macron should A priori stay one day in New Caledonia and must arrive Thursday morning in Nouméa. He’s going there “to set up a mission as part of a global system”adds those around him.

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced Tuesday during the Questions to the Government (QAG) session that he will accompany Emmanuel Macron, as will the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, and the Minister of Overseas Territories, Marie Guévenoux.

Prisca Thevenot reiterated that “the return to order was the prerequisite for any dialogue”while a constitutional reform contested by the separatists must be validated by the Congress bringing together senators and deputies “before the end of June”, according to Emmanuel Macron. But “the executive continues (…) the construction of the political solution for the territory”she also declared.

The extension of the state of emergency, decreed last Wednesday, “was not addressed” during this Council of Ministers, according to Prisca Thevenot, who explained that the situation, which “needs further improvement, is in the process of becoming normalized”. This exceptional situation cannot be extended beyond 12 days without submitting a text to Parliament. A possible extension would require a referral to the National Assembly and the Senate before May 27.

The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, will have “also the opportunity to go [en Nouvelle-Calédonie], not immediately but in the coming weeks”also clarified Prisca Thevenot while the Caledonian file has no longer been managed directly by Matignon since 2020 and three former Prime Ministers are pleading for it to be managed again from rue de Varenne.