New Caledonia groups sign accord on French territory's future

Alan Katz, Bloomberg News on Jul 12, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Opposing groups from the French overseas territory of New Caledonia reached an agreement that aims to set out its future status following riots that rocked the Pacific archipelago last year.

The draft deal signed early Saturday among the groups and the government would create a New Caledonia state that would nevertheless remain part of France, according to a post by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou. While details of the agreement weren’t immediately released, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a post on X that it includes “expanded local powers, an unfreezing of the electorate and possible international recognition.”

In 2024, a since-shelved government bill aimed at expanding the number of residents eligible to vote inflamed tensions with the indigenous Kanak population, who said it would dilute their power. The Kanaks, the largest indigenous group on the islands, have long complained of being sidelined by the descendants of European settlers.

France’s parliament is expected to meet late this year to approve the constitutional change needed for the agreement, ahead of a referendum in the archipelago in early 2026, Agence France-Presse reported.