France proposes statehood for New Caledonia: will it work? – Australian Academy of the Humanities

France proposes statehood for New Caledonia: will it work? – Australian Academy of the Humanities

In 2024, the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia experienced a recrudescence of unrest and violence linked to the long-lasting question of its continued attachment to France or eventual independence. Brought together by President Emmanuel Macron, on 12 July 2025, negotiators from pro- and anti-independence groups signed an agreement, the Bougival Accord, with the French government foreshadowing creation of an ‘État de la Nouvelle-Calédonie’…