Summarised by Centrist
The riots in French New Caledonia are a conundrum for France’s left leaning supporters backing the Kanak pro-independence movement.
“(T)he French Left finds itself defending arguments about the rights of a people to defend its land and its identity—which in any other context would make them classed as ‘extreme Right’,” writes correspondent Hélène de Lauzun.
This is a narrative that may sound somewhat familiar to New Zealanders.
The 1998 Nouméa Accord granted autonomy to New Caledonia, but excluded new French settlers from voting. Despite this, three referendums since then have favoured remaining under French rule.
A current reform seeks to unfreeze the electorate, likely bolstering pro-French sentiment, which has sparked violent protests from independence supporters, who are the minority.
The French Left backs the Kanak pro-independence movement and advocates for preserving indigenous culture, but shows disdain for long-standing white residents. This is contradictory to their support for multiculturalism in mainland France.
Editor’s note: The situation of French leftists supporting New Caledonia’s Kanak pro-independence movement partly mirrors the conundrum of NZ leftists advocating for Māori independence.
Both have been accused of displaying anti-white sentiment. This highlights a tension within leftist ideologies when it comes to ethnic nationalism and race-based policies vs universal human rights and equality.
