CoveragePost
August 28, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific Correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls has ended an extended seven-day visit to New Caledonia with mixed feelings. On one hand, he said he was confident his “Bougival deal” for New Caledonia’s future is now “more advanced” after three sittings of a “drafting committee” made up ... <a title="French Overseas Minister pushes ahead with Bougival deal despite FLNKS snub" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/28/french-overseas-minister-pushes-ahead-with-bougival-deal-despite-flnks-snub/" aria-label="Read more about French Overseas Minister pushes ahead with Bougival deal despite FLNKS snub">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 26, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Prime Minister François Bayrou’s surprise announcement yesterday that he will call for a parliamentary confidence vote in his government is set to further complicate protracted talks in New Caledonia on the French territory’s political future. The announcement comes as French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls ... <a title="French PM’s confidence vote hits New Caledonia’s political negotiations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/26/french-pms-confidence-vote-hits-new-caledonias-political-negotiations/" aria-label="Read more about French PM’s confidence vote hits New Caledonia’s political negotiations">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 24, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A newly established “drafting committee” held its inaugural meeting in Nouméa this week, aiming to translate the Bougival agreement — signed by New Caledonian political parties in Paris last month — into a legal and constitutional form. However, the first sitting of the committee on Thursday ... <a title="FLNKS snubs Nouméa constitutional reform talks for New Caledonia" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/24/flnks-snubs-noumea-constitutional-reform-talks-for-new-caledonia/" aria-label="Read more about FLNKS snubs Nouméa constitutional reform talks for New Caledonia">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 14, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s pro-independence front, the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), has formally confirmed its “block rejection” of the French-sponsored Bougival project, signed last month. The pact has been presented as an agreement between all parties to serve as a guide for the French Pacific ... <a title="‘Full sovereignty and independence’: FLNKS rejects France’s Bougival project" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/14/full-sovereignty-and-independence-flnks-rejects-frances-bougival-project/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Full sovereignty and independence’: FLNKS rejects France’s Bougival project">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 13, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s pro-and-anti-independence parties have committed to an “historic” deal over the future political status of the French Pacific territory, which is set to become — for the first time — a “state” within the French realm. The 13-page agreement yesterday, officially entitled “Agreement Project of ... <a title="New Caledonia’s political parties commit to ‘historic’ statehood deal" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/13/new-caledonias-political-parties-commit-to-historic-statehood-deal/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia’s political parties commit to ‘historic’ statehood deal">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 26, 2025
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French President Emmanuel Macron has sent a formal invitation to “all New Caledonia stakeholders” for talks in Paris on the French Pacific territory’s political and economic future to be held on July 2. The confirmation came on Thursday in the form of a letter sent individually ... <a title="Macron invites all New Caledonia stakeholders for Paris talks" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/26/macron-invites-all-new-caledonia-stakeholders-for-paris-talks/" aria-label="Read more about Macron invites all New Caledonia stakeholders for Paris talks">Read more</a>
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>
