Camilla Jessen
The deal follows ten days of talks near Paris.
France and New Caledonia have reached a “historic” agreement that will see the Pacific territory officially recognized as a new state — while still remaining part of the French Republic.
The deal was announced Saturday following ten days of high-stakes negotiations near Paris.
The 13-page agreement introduces the concept of Caledonian nationality and allows residents to hold it alongside their French nationality.
The move is being framed as a compromise between pro-independence forces and those loyal to France, in an effort to end years of political deadlock.
French President Emmanuel Macron had called for the talks, urging New Caledonia’s political, civil, and economic leaders to work together on a new constitutional framework for the territory.
“State of New Caledonia” to Be Created
The result: a consensus to establish a “State of New Caledonia” with its own defined status within France.
“The Caledonians will remain French,” said Nicolas Metzdorf, a French lawmaker opposed to independence.
“No other referendums are planned, except for the one confirming this agreement,” he told AFP and Digi24.
The new framework would mark a shift in New Caledonia’s relationship with mainland France, but without full independence.
A Unique Status 17,000 km from Paris
New Caledonia, located nearly 17,000 kilometers from Paris in the South Pacific, is home to around 270,000 people.
It is one of several French overseas territories and has long been a source of political tension over its future status.
Several referendums in recent years have failed to produce a clear path forward. Saturday’s agreement aims to settle that debate, at least for now, by forging a shared identity — both Caledonian and French — under a redefined relationship with Paris.
