France Postpones New Caledonia Election Amid Ongoing Unrest

Prime Minister Michel Barnier delays provincial election by a year and halts controversial voting list bill.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced the postponement of New Caledonia's provincial election from December 2024 to the end of 2025.
A controversial bill proposed by President Macron to amend the voting registry in New Caledonia has been shelved.
The Indigenous Kanak people fear the voting list changes would favor recent arrivals, exacerbating tensions with white settler communities.
Mass demonstrations by pro-independence groups turned violent earlier this year, resulting in 15 deaths and nearly 3,000 arrests.
Barnier plans to address the high cost of living and other issues in France's overseas territories with a government committee early next year.