The declarations of Gérald Darmanin, on a “statute of autonomy” of Corsica, give the opportunity to other regions, in particular overseas, to put back on the table the nature of their links with Paris. The quest for “à la carte autonomy in the French Republic” was thus listed as a priority for the territorial community of Guyana (CTG) on Saturday by all the elected officials of the overseas territory gathered in Cayenne in congress.
Calling not to miss “the Corsica convoy”, the president of the CTG, Gabriel Serville (DVG, close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon) undertook to carry out a “frank, concerted and planned with the government” prefiguration, which will be seized “before the presidential election” next April.
A story without end “
The demand made by the local political class for greater autonomy has been an “unending story” for decades, also severely attacked Gabriel Serville, elected in 2021 on the promise of rapid statutory evolution and refocusing. economic exchanges with the countries of the American continent. “The State has never made it easy for us, but we also have our share of responsibility”, expressed during the congress the senator (DVG) Marie-Laure Phinéra-Horth. “Autonomy is no longer a taboo. Nor is it independence,” she said.
A “steering committee” composed in particular of elected officials and local institutions will resume the work already started under the previous territorial mandate and will have to “in the medium term” provide a proposal to the Elysée with a view to an institutional modification, submitted to the Parliament, to provide this overseas territory with new powers and the power to adopt local laws. Institutional emancipation had been demanded by some of the demonstrators of the great social crisis of March-April 2017 in Guyana in favor of a “structural catch-up” of the territory on France, in all areas.
The examples of Polynesia and New Caledonia
On Saturday, the elected representatives of the congress did not hide their interest in the current statutes of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, which have acquired a certain autonomy and have their own government. But all agreed on the need for a statute “adapted to the realities of Guyana”. “Not opposed” to autonomy, the former president of the local authority of Guyana, Rodolphe Alexandre, support of Emmanuel Macron, for his part called to remain “within the European framework” whatever the evolution of status because “Europe finances local authorities more than France”.
In January 2010, 70% of Guyanese voters (for a participation rate of 48%) voted against autonomy of power in the context of a popular consultation organized by the former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy.