EU nickel agreement faces Kanak opposition as Macron's strategy draws criticism in New Caledonia

In a largely empty hall of the New Caledonian Congress, EU executive vice-president Stéphane Séjourné delivered remarks on the pending European nickel agreement, which is scheduled to be signed on Tuesday. The day before, all 19 members of the pro-independence Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste (FLNKS) declared a boycott, claiming the French and EU strategy amounts to a surrender of their mineral sovereignty.

Their protest will not stop the formal signing of the raw-materials accord. Legislators from the Union nationale pour l’indépendance were also missing, reportedly held in the North Province. Séjourné acknowledged external pressures to conclude the pact swiftly, noting the EU already has fifteen similar agreements with other nations.