Following the French government's shelving of a consultation bill on New Caledonia's Bougival agreement, non-independentist deputy Nicolas Metzdorf—affiliated with Renaissance—has invited ten party lawmakers to Nouméa to secure support ahead of resumed talks next week, exposing rifts in Macron's central bloc.
In response to Overseas Territories Minister Naïma Moutchou's abrupt scrapping of the anticipated consultation on the Bougival agreement—previously shelved by the government last December—New Caledonian deputy Nicolas Metzdorf is mobilizing support. The Renaissance-affiliated lawmaker, known for his radical right stance in Nouméa, invited ten fellow party deputies to the archipelago this week to lock in backing before President Emmanuel Macron reconvenes stakeholders.
Metzdorf's relations with Macron soured last July after the president floated a referendum on independence-association in 15 years, a proposal he rejects. 'We're no longer aligned,' he stated, while decrying Moutchou's move as 'permanent reneging' and a 'betrayed love for France' to local audiences.
This internal revolt within the central bloc underscores tensions as discussions on the July 2025 agreement—aimed at defining New Caledonia's future within France—resume amid ongoing challenges.