New Caledonia provincial elections test France's Pacific foothold
The segment features FRANCE 24's international affairs editor discussing the stakes of provincial elections in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory listed by the UN as non-self-governing. It covers economic importance via nickel production, geostrategic value in the Indo-Pacific, and challenges from decolonization processes and demographics. The discussion explains three independence referendums since 2018, the frozen electoral rolls under the 1998 Noumea Accord, and the May 2024 riots triggered by proposed voter-roll expansion. It notes an Australian study on Beijing's use of the Chinese diaspora for influence operations.
Source: FRANCE 24 English