France’s Pacific island territory of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly against independence on Sunday in the last of three scheduled referendums since 2018, but difficult negotiations over its future are expected to continue following a boycott of the latest vote by pro-independence militants, reports the Financial Times.
With most of the votes counted, 96.5 per cent of those who cast their ballots opposed independence, the government said. Turnout was low at 43.9 per cent because of the boycott.
New Caledonia, which lies 1,500km east of Australia and has a population of 270,000, is one of the world’s biggest nickel producers and gives France influence over a large maritime zone in the South Pacific. Tesla, the electric carmaker that needs nickel for its batteries, this year agreed to buy New Caledonian nickel from a Trafigura-backed consortium.
Those who support the idea of the islands remaining part of France argue that the territory is coveted by an expansionist China and allows the French to maintain their status as an Indo-Pacific power.
That argument was recently undermined by Australia’s decision to cancel a large submarine contract with France and buy nuclear-powered vessels from the US and the UK instead.