CoveragePost
May 8, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific Desk After three solid days of talks in retreat mode, New Caledonia’s political parties have yet to reach an agreement on the French Pacific territory’s future status. The talks, held with French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls and French Prime Minister’s special advisor Eric Thiers, have since ... <a title="New Caledonia’s political talks – no outcome after three days of ‘conclave’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/05/08/new-caledonias-political-talks-no-outcome-after-three-days-of-conclave/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia’s political talks – no outcome after three days of ‘conclave’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 29, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls, who is visiting New Caledonia this week for the third time in two months, has once again called on all parties to live up to their responsibilities in order to make a new political agreement possible. Failing that, he said ... <a title="French Minister Valls warns New Caledonia is ‘on a tightrope’, pleads for ‘innovative’ solutions" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/04/29/french-minister-valls-warns-new-caledonia-is-on-a-tightrope-pleads-for-innovative-solutions/" aria-label="Read more about French Minister Valls warns New Caledonia is ‘on a tightrope’, pleads for ‘innovative’ solutions">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 14, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A leaked “working paper” on New Caledonia’s future political status is causing concern on the local stage and has prompted a “clarification” from the French government’s Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls. Details of the document, which was supposed to remain confidential, have been widely circulated online ... <a title="Leaked ‘working paper’ on New Caledonia’s political future sparks new concerns" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/04/14/leaked-working-paper-on-new-caledonias-political-future-sparks-new-concerns/" aria-label="Read more about Leaked ‘working paper’ on New Caledonia’s political future sparks new concerns">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 4, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls left New Caledonia at the weekend after a one-week stay which was marked by the resumption of inclusive political talks on the French territory’s future. He has now submitted a “synthetical” working document to be discussed further and promised he ... <a title="French minister wraps up key talks in New Caledonia, returning late March" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/03/04/french-minister-wraps-up-key-talks-in-new-caledonia-returning-late-march/" aria-label="Read more about French minister wraps up key talks in New Caledonia, returning late March">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 24, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls’ first two days in New Caledonia have been marred by several clashes with local pro-France, anti-independence movements, who feared he would side with their pro-independence opponents. However, he remained confident that all stakeholders would eventually come and sit together at ... <a title="Valls faces Kanak ‘first people’ clash with loyalists over independence talks" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/24/valls-faces-kanak-first-people-clash-with-loyalists-over-independence-talks/" aria-label="Read more about Valls faces Kanak ‘first people’ clash with loyalists over independence talks">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 21, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk As French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls lands in New Caledonia tomorrow to pursue talks on its political future, the situation on the ground has again gained tension over the past few days. The local political spectrum is deeply divided between the two main opposing camps, ... <a title="France’s Minister Valls faces tough talks in New Caledonia over future" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/21/frances-minister-valls-faces-tough-talks-in-new-caledonia-over-future/" aria-label="Read more about France’s Minister Valls faces tough talks in New Caledonia over future">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 14, 2025
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which disqualified around 20,000 French citizens ... <a title="France’s top diplomat confirms ‘unfreezing’ of New Caledonia’s electoral roll back on table" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/14/frances-top-diplomat-confirms-unfreezing-of-new-caledonias-electoral-roll-back-on-table/" aria-label="Read more about France’s top diplomat confirms ‘unfreezing’ of New Caledonia’s electoral roll back on table">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 12, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls has announced he will travel to New Caledonia later this month to pursue talks on the French territory’s political future. These discussions on February 22 follow preliminary talks held last week in Paris in “bilateral” mode with a wide range of ... <a title="French Overseas Minister Manuel Valls to visit Nouméa for key political talks" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/12/french-overseas-minister-manuel-valls-to-visit-noumea-for-key-political-talks/" aria-label="Read more about French Overseas Minister Manuel Valls to visit Nouméa for key political talks">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 4, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk The main provincial road linking New Caledonia’s capital, Nouméa, to the south of the main island will be fully reopened to motorists after almost eight months. Route Provinciale 1 (RP1), which passes through Saint Louis, had been the scene of violent acts — theft, assault, carjackings ... <a title="Troubled road in New Caledonia fully reopens after eight-month closure" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/04/troubled-road-in-new-caledonia-fully-reopens-after-eight-month-closure/" aria-label="Read more about Troubled road in New Caledonia fully reopens after eight-month closure">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 9, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s newly-installed government has elected pro-France Alcide Ponga as territorial President. Ponga, 49, is also the first indigenous Kanak president of the pro-France Le Rassemblement-Les Républicains (LR) party. His election came after the first attempt to elect a President, on Tuesday, failed to bring out ... <a title="Pro-France Alcide Ponga elected as New Caledonia’s new president" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/09/pro-france-alcide-ponga-elected-as-new-caledonias-new-president/" aria-label="Read more about Pro-France Alcide Ponga elected as New Caledonia’s new president">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 7, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent, French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s territorial government has been toppled on Christmas Eve, due to a mass resignation within its ranks. Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Jérémie Katidjo-Monnier said he was resigning from the cabinet, with immediate effect. Katidjo-Monnier was the sole representative from Calédonie Ensemble (a moderately pro-France ... <a title="‘Bloc’ resignation over riots recovery plan topples New Caledonia’s government" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/07/bloc-resignation-over-riots-recovery-plan-topples-new-caledonias-government/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Bloc’ resignation over riots recovery plan topples New Caledonia’s government">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 2, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk An emergency 231 million euro (NZ$428 million) French aid package for New Caledonia has been reduced by one third because of the French Pacific territory’s current political crisis. The initial French package was endorsed in early December 2024, in an 11th-hour vote at the French National ... <a title="New Caledonia political crisis costs one third of multi-million French package" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/02/new-caledonia-political-crisis-costs-one-third-of-multi-million-french-package/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia political crisis costs one third of multi-million French package">Read more</a>
