Jeebus ! The number of people commenting here who don't have any knowledge of the situation is annoying.
France vowed in the Noumea Accord of 1998 to gradually give more political power to New Caledonia. Since, under the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, ALL rejecting independence. Now, the last referendum in 2021 had something like 94% people voting to stay French BUT the independentist had called for a boycott of the referendum. Turnout was about 44%.
In 2018, New Caledonians rejected independence at 57%. In 2020 it was 53%. In both these votes, the turnout was 80% +.
So this is not a case of France imposing control on the local population, there seems to be at least a small majority of people who wish to stay French.
New Caledonians have French nationality, the vote in all french national elections (presidential, parliament, etc. ) and could absolutely vote in local elections if they moved to say Paris or Marseille.
The thing is, the electoral lists in New Caledonia were frozen in 1998, and so anyone who came to live there legally after that can't vote in local elections. This is now being reversed, allowing citizens who have lived there for at least 10 years to vote, and that's why the independentist party is rioting, they fear the independentist vote would be diluted by these newcomers, which presumably would vote to stay French.
This sounds very French. Try passing a law in France that says says you can't vote unless you were born there and see how long it takes before someone sets your car on fire
The US schools suspending/expelling peaceful protestors/occupiers are not creating the safe spaces they think they are, when it opens up opportunities like this (and makes them sound appealing).
I seriously hope no one tries to take them up on it because, if they weren't antisemitic (specifically anti-Jewish), then the Houthis will definitely return them with a hate for Jews, since it's one of their tenets.
@lusterko Funny how Putin tries hard to make his war look more heroic than it really is by telling the Russians "look, we're fighting against all of them at once". Putin's obsession with international rank shall not be overlooked.
Says the country that is at war with a democracy, one that sought EU and NATO membership. But was denied into NATO to appease Russia!!!
Shut up Russia, you are despicable. Hopefully you will recede into irrelevancy after losing to Ukraine. And hopefully get dissolved into multiple countries.
Still playing the victim here for neighboring countries joining NATO. Perhaps prof. Dr. Putin should read a history book that is not Soviet narratively written , which would call out for the unwanted occupation of half of central and eastern Europe. And the unwanted _forced Warsaw pact alliance.
NATO is a voluntary alliance. Maybe by looking in the mirror and see why all formal Warsaw pact counties wanted to join NATO, would answer your question. Bully who bullies doesn't understand why his victims dont want to be bullied.
But it's all for the believers because ignorance is strength.
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