New Caledonia Elections Set for June 28, French PM Says

(MENAFN) French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Friday that New Caledonia will hold provincial elections on June 28, following the National Assembly's refusal to advance a constitutional reform bill tied to the Bougival agreement — a procedural blow that has forced the government to reset its political approach to the troubled Pacific territory.

"The State will organize them on June 28 with all necessary guarantees of neutrality and security," Lecornu said in a video statement released on X, the US-based social media platform.

Speaking directly to New Caledonians, the premier acknowledged that the territory's deepening political paralysis — compounded by deteriorating economic and social conditions — had risen to the top of the government's urgent agenda.

Lecornu said dialogue had been revived following the National Assembly's rejection of the constitutional bill, which had already cleared the Senate on its first reading. He was pointed in his criticism of how the legislative process had unfolded.

"The bill could ultimately have failed to pass after debate, that is democracy," he noted. "But instead, a procedural rejection prevailed."

In response, the government convened all signatories of the Bougival agreement alongside other New Caledonian political parties in a bid to restart stalled negotiations.

"Because the State must speak with everyone, because it serves everyone," Lecornu added.

The premier issued a frank warning against complacency, arguing that clinging to the existing political framework offered no path to lasting stability.

"The status quo is not a destiny," he said, adding that it "may even become the seedbed for renewed violence."

He pressed further, stressing that the status quo "blocks the decolonization process" and continues to erode the island's economic foundations.

Despite the legislative setback, Lecornu said all parties had committed to sustaining dialogue — both with the French state and among themselves — signaling a fragile but active willingness to pursue a negotiated way forward.

The premier emphasized that the upcoming elections should serve as more than an institutional exercise, urging that the campaign open broader discussions encompassing economic recovery, social welfare, environmental policy, education, and public health.

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