Macron suspends contested electoral reform plan in French overseas territory of New Caledonia

By Nur Asena Erturk

The French president on Wednesday announced the suspension of the much-contested electoral reform plan in the overseas territory of New Caledonia.

The reform plan provoked violent riots in May in the Pacific archipelago and lasted for weeks. At least seven people died and over 370 were injured in the riots.

President Emmanuel Macron, who announced snap polls after the defeat of his alliance in the EU elections on Sunday, said that the reform plan in New Caledonia was suspended to avoid “ambiguity” ahead of the elections.

He added that the aim is to prioritize “dialogue in the field and restoring the order.”

If changes to electoral rules were adopted, French nationals who have lived on the island nation for at least 10 years would be eligible to vote in local elections.

Locals, however, were concerned that the changes would dilute the indigenous Kanak population's vote.

- Snap polls, right-wing crisis

Macron also called the centrists to join forces against the far-right surge in France ahead of the snap polls.

After the far-right party National Rally got more than 30% of the votes in the EU elections, the president acknowledged the defeat of his centrist alliance, dissolved the parliament and announced snap elections.

Left- and right-wing parties started talks to form alliances on their respective sides.

The left-wing parties, including the Greens, the Socialist Party, La France Insoumise, and the French Communist Party, on Monday announced an alliance under the name "Popular Front.”

The possible alliance of the center-right Republicans party (Les Republicains, LR) with the far-right National Rally sparked a crisis inside the LR.

Those alliances both on the left and the right are “handiworks” that would not be able to agree on any government program, Macron said.

He called the “centrist, progressist, democratic, and republican” bloc to unite and counter those alliances, either before or after the elections.

LR President Eric Ciotti, who approached the far-right National Rally, is criticized inside his party for “betrayal” of the party’s republican legacy.

Macron said on Wednesday that Ciotti made “a pact with the devil.”