Emmanuel Macron once again expressed ‘his solidarity with all Caledonians’ on Wednesday. For the past two nights, the archipelago has been the scene of violent riots that have resulted in ‘three’ deaths and several hundred injuries, according to the Elysée Palace

‘All forms of violence are unacceptable and will be dealt with firmly to restore republican order’, declared Emmanuel Macron. In response to the unrest, he asked the government to ‘declare a state of emergency in New Caledonia’, where a gendarme was ‘very seriously injured’, as the Elysée announced in a statement on Wednesday 15 May.

Emmanuel Macron reiterated his ‘support for all Caledonians and expressed his gratitude to the security forces who are working hard to protect and support the population’ at the National Defence and Security Council meeting on Wednesday morning. He also expressed his ‘deep emotion at the loss of three lives, while a gendarme was seriously injured’, according to the statement.

The President therefore asked that ‘the decree declaring a state of emergency in New Caledonia be included on the agenda of the Council of Ministers to be held at 4.30pm’, the Elysée said. He also stressed ‘the need for a resumption of political dialogue’ and asked the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior and Overseas France to invite the New Caledonian delegations to Paris as soon as possible.

Gabriel Attal then announced that he would be proposing ‘in the next few hours a date for a meeting in Paris with the stakeholders in New Caledonia, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories’, during questions to the Prime Minister. This rebellion by pro-independence supporters against an electoral reform adopted by Parliament, aimed at widening the electorate authorised to vote in the archipelago, is shaking up the overseas Pacific territory.