More autonomy for Guadeloupe?

In an attempt to end the violence, the Minister of Overseas made an unexpected announcement. “According to some elected officials, Guadeloupe could better manage itself. The government is ready to talk about it”, Sébastien Lecornu said on Friday November 26. Concretely, autonomy could concern education, social or health. The former president of the region does not say no, but wonders about the modalities. “Should the presidency be entrusted to a local elected representative? What are the allocations? There are real questions to ask”, reacted the senator PS of Guadeloupe, Victorin Lurel.

French Polynesia has enjoyed this status since 1984. In Guadeloupe, demands are more social than institutional. In 2003, consulted by referendum, the Guadeloupeans voted mostly against a broad autonomy project. “Certainly, it is important to open this debate, but for the moment, the immediate priority is the question of vaccination.“, commented a union official of the firefighters at the origin of the general strike. The demonstration scheduled for Saturday morning was maintained.