Page 13 - IB June 2017

Politics

own patch against the budget razor gang vance its score at the next presidential His gesture of support will be noted as
- Australia’s aid budget has declined by elections in 2022, if Macron stumbles. he takes up one of New Caledonia’s two
30 per cent in real terms since the Coali- The French Constitution gives sig- Assembly seats in Paris, reinforcing his
tion gained power in 2013). nificant executive powers to the French role as a key interlocutor with the new
At a time when the United Kingdom President, but Macron may have to French President.
is seeking to withdraw cohabit with a hostile Prime Minister
from European Union and government after the June elections. Low voter turnout
(EU) institutions un- Macron’s La République En Marche is Another significant feature of the
der Brexit, Macron not currently represented in the French presidential elections was the low turn-
remains committed National Assembly. With strong candi- out of Kanak voters in New Caledonia,
to the EU, positioning dates on the ground, the two mainstream following the call by the largest pro-
France as a key force parties, the Parti Socialiste (French So- independence party, Union Calédonienne
Turnbull ... backs alongside Germany. cialist Party) and the conservative Les (UC) to abstain. UC called on its sup-
coal mining Once again, this is im- Républicains will regain some ground porters to focus instead on preparing
portant for the Pacific, during this month’s elections, while the for next year’s planned referendum on
given France provides 18 per cent of FN and La France Insoumise should poll self-determination.
funding for the EU’s European Develop- strongly. There was massive abstention in large-
ment Fund (EDF). French Polynesian President Edouard ly Kanak areas. In the Loyalty Islands,
On New Caledonia, Macron’s new Fritch has publicly backed Macron, only 9 per cent of eligible voters turned
Overseas Minister Annick Girardin has hoping he will follow through on fund- out in Mare, 9.9 per cent in Ouvea and
pledged that France will support the ing pledges made by Francois Hollande 14.1 per cent in Lifou. On the mainland,
Noumea Accord process, leading to a during the outgoing president’s 2016 participation in most Kanak-dominated
scheduled referendum on self-determi- visit to Tahiti. areas ranged between 20 to three per
nation in late 2018. However this election has highlighted cent, in contrast to areas where many
significant differences over the future for Europeans and Wallisians live, such as
Problems on the horizon New Caledonia, as the the capital Noumea (62.9 per cent) and
Despite these continuities however, country moves closer surrounding towns like Dumbea (61.4
there’s a level of uncertainty in French towards a referendum per cent) Mont-Dore (57.4 per cent) or
political culture that will create problems on its future political Paita (58.8 per cent).
for the islands region. status in late 2018. In the first round, the other major pro-
The first concern is that the new In New Caledonia’s independence Party of Kanak Liberation
President has limited knowledge of first round of voting in (Palika) called for a vote for socialist
the Pacific and its problems. Macron’s Fritch ... finds an April, many European candidate Benoit Hamon, who crashed
newly-created formation La République ally in Macron voters supported can- out with just 6 per cent of the national
En Marche (The Republic on the Move) didates like Francois vote. Palika then backed Macron for the
will not endorse any candidates from Fillon (33.1 per cent) and Marine Le second round, boosting his support in
New Caledonia, French Polynesia or Pen (29 per cent), who are committed the North and Loyalty Islands provinces.
Wallis and Futuna during the June 2017 to keeping the three Pacific territories However across New Caledonia, only
National Assembly elections. as part of the French Republic. Macron 48.1 per cent of eligible voters bothered
His initial focus will be on domestic trailed in the first round with just 12.7 to vote (the number of voters in 2017
rather than international policy. France per cent support. fell by 7.23 per cent compared to the
faces significant economic dysfunction, In the second round, faced with the previous presidential election in 2012).
debates over terrorism and deep levels of choice of either Macron or Le Pen, a num- For the second round run-off be-
anger towards all politicians. Macron is a ber of conservative, anti-independence tween Macron and Le Pen, there was
former Rothschild’s banker and Minister politicians pledged support for the ex- still limited enthusiasm. From 188,804
for the Economy and a graduate of the treme right candidate! registered voters only 99,997 (52.96
Ecole Normale d’Administration (ENA), Despite their historic ties to the centre- per cent) turned out to vote (and even
which trains elite public servants. Ma- right Républicains, Gael Yanno, Sonia that tally included 4.7 per cent of people
cron’s policies of neoliberal austerity and Backes and Harold Martin all called for who submitted blank or defaced ballot
cuts to public services are exactly the a vote for the Front National - a stand papers). In the end, Macron won 52.5 per
sort of agenda that drove many voters noted with disgust by many Kanak and cent of the final tally in New Caledonia
to ditch mainstream parties and support Islander voters, given against 47.4 per cent for Le Pen.
either the FN or the left-wing La France the FN’s long history In French Polynesia, turnout was also
Insoumise, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. of racism. low. Only 38.9 per cent of registered
The defeat of FN candidate Marine Le In contrast, Philippe voters bothered to turn out for the first
Pen in the second round of the presi- Gomes of the anti-in- round, with participation increasing to
dential elections has slowed, rather than dependence Calédonie 46.9% in the run-off.
smashed, the rise of the neo-fascist Ensemble (Caledonia President Fritch’s governing Tapura
party. Philippe Gomes ... Together) party called party supported Macron, while Gaston
The FN, which is deeply committed to backs Macron for a vote for Macron. Flosse’s Tahoera’a Huiraatira promoted
French colonialism in the Pacific, gained Gomes is likely to be the confusing slogan “We support Ma-
significant support from disenchanted re-elected to his northern constituency rine Le Pen but not the National Front.”
working class voters and hopes to ad- seat at this month’s elections for the n Continued overleaf
French National Assembly.

Islands Business,May 2017 13