This article lists political parties in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia has a number of strong, well-developed political parties because of the use of proportional representation in the island's Congress.
The major issue dividing the parties is the question of independence.
Party | Party initials | Ideology |
---|---|---|
The Rally (New Caledonia) Le Rassemblement | Rassemblement-LR | Conservative, anti-independence |
Caledonia Together Caledonie Ensemble | CE | Liberal, anti-independence |
Caledonian Republicans Les Républicains calédoniens | LRC | Liberal, anti-independence |
Caledonian People's Movement Mouvement Populaire Calédonien | MPC | Conservative, anti-independence |
Caledonian Union Union Calédonienne | UC | Pro-independence |
Party of Kanak Liberation Parti de libération kanak | PALIKA | Socialist, pro-independence |
National Rally Rassemblement National | RN | Far-right, anti-independence |
Oceanian Awakening L'Éveil Océanien | EO | Ethnist, neutral |
Générations NC | GNC | Liberal, anti-independence |
Kanak Socialist Liberation Libération Kanak Socialiste | LKS | Pro-independence |
Renewed Caledonian Union Union Calédonienne Renouveau | UC-R | Pro-independence |
Melanesian Progressive Union Union progressiste mélanésienne | UPM | Pro-independence |
Labour Party Parti travailliste | PT | Socialist, pro-independence |
Oceanian Democratic Rally Rassemblement démocratique océanien | RDO | Pro-independence |
All Caledonians Tous calédoniens | Liberal, anti-independence |
New Caledonia is a sui generis collectivity of overseas France in the southwest Pacific Ocean, south of Vanuatu, about 1,210 km (750 mi) east of Australia, and 17,000 km (11,000 mi) from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea. French people, especially locals, call Grande Terre Le Caillou. New Caledonia is one of the European Union's Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), but it is not part of the European Union.
New Caledonia is a French sui generis collectivity with a system of government based on parliamentarism and representative democracy. The President of the Government is the head of government, and there is a multi-party system, with Executive power being exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the executive and the Congress of New Caledonia. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Pierre Frogier is a French politician, who was President of the Government of New Caledonia from 2001 to 2004. He has been French senator for New Caledonia since 2011, and was member of the National Assembly of France from 1996 to 2011. He served as President of the Congress of New Caledonia from 1995 to 1997.
The Rally is a conservative political party in New Caledonia. The Rally is an anti-separatist, loyalist party strongly supportive of the French status of the region and is opposed to the independence of New Caledonia. It is affiliated with the Les Republicains party in mainland France.
Future Together was a center-right political party in New Caledonia supporting the maintenance of political and administrative ties with France.
The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front is a pro-independence alliance of political parties in New Caledonia. It was founded in 1984 at a congress of various political parties. Its supporters are mostly from the Kanak indigenous population but also include supporters from other ethnic communities.
The Caledonian Union is a pro-independence and the oldest political party in New Caledonia. In the latest legislative elections of May 10, 2009, the party won around 11.65% of the popular vote, and 9 out of 54 seats in the Territorial Congress.
The Nouméa Accord of 1998 is a promise by the French Republic to grant increased political power to New Caledonia and its indigenous population, the Kanaks, over a twenty-year transition period. It was signed 5 May 1998 by Lionel Jospin, and approved in a referendum in New Caledonia on 8 November, with 72% voting in favour. Under the accord, three more referendum votes, on whether to remain a special collectivity of France or become an independent state, have been held. One was held in 2018, and the second was held in 2020. In both votes a majority chose to remain French. The Nouméa Accord permitted a final referendum to be held, voted for by the Congress of New Caledonia. It was held December 2021 and widely rejected independence amid boycott by the independence movement.
The Congress of New Caledonia, a "territorial congress", is the legislature of New Caledonia. It has 54 members who serve five-year terms, selected proportionally based on the partisan makeup of all three assemblies of the provinces of New Caledonia with a 5% threshold. The congress is headquartered at 1 Boulevard Vauban in downtown Noumea. Local media in New Caledonia refer to the congress as "boulevard Vauban" when referencing it.
Two flags are in use in New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France. Up to 2010, the only flag used to represent New Caledonia was the flag of France, a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue, white, and red known to English speakers as the French Tricolour or simply the Tricolour. However, in July 2010, the Congress of New Caledonia voted in favour of a wish to fly the Kanak flag of the independence movement FLNKS alongside the French Tricolour. The wish, legally non-binding, proved controversial. A majority of New Caledonian communes, but not all, now fly both flags, the rest flying only the French Tricolour.
The Labour Party is a New Caledonian political party established on 18 November 2007. It is radically pro-independence and backed by the trade union Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers (USTKE). It is considered close to the French alterglobalization movement led by José Bové.
Legislative elections were held in New Caledonia on 10 May 2009. Voters elected 76 members of the three provincial assemblies, of whom 54 were also to become members of the territorial Congress.
Caledonia Together is a political party in New Caledonia. The party was established on 14 October 2008 as a split from Future Together led by Philippe Gomès. The party is centrist and opposed to independence.
This article lists the presidents of the Government of New Caledonia since 1999, after the Nouméa Accord was signed in 1998. The President is often from the largest party in the Congress of New Caledonia, though the government itself is made up of cabinet ministers from all parties in Congress, allocated proportionally based on the number of MPs from each party.
Philippe Gomès is a New Caledonian politician and, from 5 June 2009 to 11 March 2011, President of the Government of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. He served as a member of the National Assembly from 2008 until 2022.
The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to Oceania.
Legislative elections were held in New Caledonia on 12 May 2019 to elect members of the Congress of New Caledonia and members of the provincial assemblies.
The Future with Confidence was a liberal-conservative and anti-independence electoral alliance of political parties in New Caledonia. It formed part of the anti-separatist and French loyalist bloc in the Congress of New Caledonia.
Générations NC (GNC) is a political party in New Caledonia. It is led by Nicolas Metzdorf who is also the party's only Member of Parliament.