New Caledonia: the archipelago that doesn’t want to be freed

In 2018, the electorate of New Caledonia voted against independence in the first of a probable series of referenda. The result did not surprise many of those who follow New Caledonian politics. A substantial (yet variable) mining income, a level of public services above the regional average in the Pacific, a higher, by way of comparison, level of constitutional autonomy than other French regions, the possibility of accessing European world-class higher education institutions and the benefits of being a member of the European Overseas Countries and Territories Association (hereafter the OCTA) are a few of the reasons that might have convinced New Caledonians to reject independence. The motivations that move a political community towards independence are indeed multifarious, yet this article will focus on the flexibility shown by the French constitutional system in accommodating the demands of the Kanak, and the potential implications of renouncing the benefits of European citizenship. The essay is divided into two sections, preceded by an introduction and followed by a conclusion. The first section will discuss the Noumea Accord and its implications for the French constitutional system. The second will discuss the identity-based constitutional aspirations of the Kanak.