Page 12 - IB August 2021

French Polynesia French Polynesia

FRANCE EXPANDS PACIFIC REACH

By Nic Maclellan

The French government is expanding its engage-
ment with Pacific Island nations, following the fifth
France-Oceania summit, a visit by President Emmanu-
el Macron to French Polynesia, and increased support
by France and the European Union for the Pacific
Community (SPC) and other regional organisations.
After a visit to New Caledonia in May 2018, Presi-
dent Macron pledged to also visit Tahiti, to reaffirm
France’s presence in the Pacific and support the
government of French Polynesia, led by President Ed-
ouard Fritch. However his proposed visit in April 2020,
combined with plans for a France-Oceania summit
with island leaders, was delayed by the outbreak of
the global coronavirus pandemic.
Macron finally made the trip between 24-28 July,
after visiting the opening of the Tokyo Olympic games.
His tour involved brief visits to Hiva Oa in the outlying French President Emmanuel Macron
Marquesas islands (a first for a French President), a
stopover in the Tuamotu archipelago, as well as meet- Opposition politicians and community leaders have also
ings and ceremonies in the capital Papeete. condemned the lavish wedding for French Polynesia’s vice
The visit aimed to enhance the Macron administration’s do- president Tearii Alpha, which was attended by President
mestic and international standing. Gearing up for the French Fritch, his ministers and local dignitaries. Combined with the
Presidential elections next April, the trip was designed to crowds that welcomed the French President, this breach of
showcase his popularity at a time of widespread political criti- coronavirus restrictions by government leaders angered health
cism and protest in France: there were plenty of babies kissed officials, worried by so-called “super spreader” events that
as he was greeted by crowds in Papeete. Another key element drive the pandemic.
was to reaffirm France’s colonial presence in the Pacific, seek- As Macron arrived on 24 July, the 7-day average of Covid
ing closer alignment with the ANZUS allies as part of his wider cases in French Polynesia was 29 cases a day. As he left on 28
Indo-Pacific policy. July, the 7-day average was 63. Within days, however, there
was a renewed surge of cases and by 23 August, the 7-day av-
Battling the pandemic erage had risen to 1,149 a day! In just one month, there were
As Macron’s aircraft touched down at Faa’a international 19,481 new cases and 170 deaths.
airport in Tahiti, a group of masked dignitaries stood on the On 11 August, the French Council of Ministers in Paris de-
tarmac, waiting to greet him. clared a state of emergency for French Polynesia. The French
From the airport, Macron was driven straight to Taaone High Commissioner in Papeete announced the reimposition of
hospital, to meet frontline health workers. Facing domestic an overnight curfew and further measures to restrict mobility,
criticism over mandatory requirements for vaccines, Macron in an attempt to contain further spread of the Delta variant.
said: “My message is simple: get vaccinated!”
Between August 2020 and January this year, French Polyne- Nuclear legacies
sia had already suffered a major surge of Covid-19 cases. With Another key issue on Macron’s agenda was to address lo-
just 280,000 people, the French dependency has one of the cal concerns over the health and environmental impacts of
highest per capita rates of coronavirus infection in the Pacific: French nuclear testing. A range of church and community
39,117 cases and 311 deaths, as of 23 August 2021. organisations had planned protests to remind the French
Macron’s strong call for action against COVID was undercut President of the impacts of 193 nuclear tests at Moruroa and
by the large crowds that welcomed the French leader. Every Fangataufa atolls between 1966 and 1996.
stroll through the street, every cultural performance, every To short-circuit this sensitive issue, the French government
gathering with politicians created a dangerous opportunity for organised a roundtable on nuclear issues on 1-3 July. However
the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the novel this roundtable was held in Paris, not Papeete, to the anger of
coronavirus. During his visit to the Tuamotu archipelago, Ma- church and community organisations like Association 193 and
cron and his entourage – local dignitaries, journalists, security Moruroa e Tatou (the association of former Maohi workers who
and police officers and general hangers on – all visited the iso- staffed the nuclear test sites for three decades). Both groups
lated atoll of Manihi. Soon after, the nurse on Manihi reported joined opposition politicians and two of French Polynesia’s
the first ever case of COVID-19 amongst villagers. deputies in the French National Assembly, Moetai Brotherson

12 Islands Business, August 2021