In New Caledonia, partial unemployment extended until June 30, announces Valls

"In agreement with the government of New Caledonia, I am announcing the extension of partial unemployment until June 30," said the politician during an interview with Outre-mer la 1ère.

This system was due to end on March 31. "It is clear that stopping the system would have particularly difficult social and economic consequences," commented Manuel Valls.

The resources "provided by the State, particularly through loans, should enable us to go until June 30: I believe that this is an important measure which will reassure many Caledonians, particularly those who have lost a job", he concluded on this subject.

The 2024 riots, triggered on May 13 by the proposed thawing of the Caledonian electoral body contested by the separatists, left 14 dead, more than two billion euros of damage and destroyed around 20% of the local GDP.

For the loyalists, the electorate for the provincial elections, "frozen" since 2007, must absolutely integrate the more recent arrivals. A casus belli for the independentists. Since May, the political process has been at a standstill and the two camps no longer speak to each other.

Furthermore, the Minister for Overseas Territories has shown himself to be flexible on the deadline of March 31 set as part of the resumption of discussions on the institutional future of the "Caillou".

"I don't have a deadline. We will take the necessary time, but time is also pressing. Because if there is no agreement before March 31, without principle, it could pose a risk for the provincial elections."

The date of March 31 was decided in connection with the upcoming provincial elections, which are crucial because the composition of the local government is determined by them.

Manuel Valls warned against a failure of the discussions: "If there is no political agreement, if there is no clear perspective, there will be no economic investments." "And then the embers of violence are still there. At that point there could be new clashes, a form of civil war," the former Prime Minister further feared.