French West Indies: Sébastien Lecornu evokes more autonomy, the right is rebelling

Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu addresses the press when he arrives in Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe on August 10, 2021 (Illustrative image).

© CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS / AFP

Text by: Aurélien Devernoix

1 min

Tensions remain strong in Guadeloupe and Martinique around the issue of compulsory vaccination to which economic and social demands have been added.

On the constitutional ground, the Minister of Overseas Territories, Sébastien Lecornu, raised the possibility of granting greater autonomy to the West Indies, provoking strong reactions.

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A government " 

", "

 " of the territories of the Republic to satisfy " 

 ": from Marine Le Pen to Xavier Bertrand via Eric Ciotti, the right-wing and far-right candidates for the presidential election criticized Sébastien Lecornu's proposal.

" 

 " in the face of the crisis, had estimated the Minister of Overseas, affirming to answer the demands of local politicians.

But that falls badly, according to the Republican deputy Julien Aubert.

He points to the difficulties already encountered with the referendum on the independence of another overseas area, New Caledonia.

Dependence on the European Union

The autonomy issue looks especially like a backfire from the government, unable for the moment to respond to the anger that has invaded Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Already in 2009, during another social crisis, Nicolas Sarkozy had put on the table the extension of the prerogatives of the

.

And the population had preferred the

, many parts of the local economy, for example, being dependent on European aid.

However, an extended autonomy, as in Polynesia or New Caledonia, would remove the Antilles from the European Union.

►Also read: New Caledonia: the referendum on self-determination maintained on December 12

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