New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe for doing so is irresistible.
A push for independence from France by members of New Caledonia’s Kanak population failed after three consecutive referendum votes. Screenshot courtesy of Al Jazeera
Opinion
BY GWYNNE DYER
September 4, 2024

LONDON, U.K.—With the sole exception of the 50 people on Pitcairn Island, the United Kingdom—once known as the British Empire—liquidated its holdings in the Pacific Ocean long ago. France, by contrast, has a half million citizens in the Pacific, and another two million...

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