The stakes are far from negligible when 1.6 million voters are registered overseas, not counting the “diasporas” settled in mainland France. In 2017, Marine Le Pen came out on top in the first round of all the overseas territories, winning 21.9% of the vote, thus tripling her result obtained five years earlier. A first in the history of the Ve Republic. Emmanuel Macron, he, with 20.4%, only came in fourth position, only a stone’s throw from the far-right candidate, but he intends, this time, to reshuffle the cards.
Just over two weeks before the first round, the outgoing president has just addressed overseas voters in a double format. First televised, during an hour-and-a-half interview on Outre-mer La 1re, produced on Wednesday March 23, which is to be broadcast by the nine overseas stations. Answering questions from two journalists from the channel and nine young people from these territories, he defended his record at length and pleaded for the“real emancipation” overseas territories. A break with the objective of “real equality” promoted by the law of February 28, 2017.
By letter, then, distributed soon in all mailboxes and whose The world was able to find out. Special feature: these four-color, double-sided letters addressed by Mr. Macron to his “dear compatriots” and ” Dear friends “ overseas territories are adapted to each of these. The result is as many versions – similar in substance but singular – for Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Reunion, Mayotte, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, as many territories in which he traveled during his five year term.
Thus it does not fail to recall, for each of them, the “faces”the ” met “the ” trades “the « souvenirs » he has left from each of his trips. He also wishes to highlight the « engagements » that he had taken there and that he “held”, even if it means sometimes embellishing the reality and concealing the insufficiencies of the State in the face of the structural problems with which the overseas territories are confronted. And, in terms of each territory, he details how he wants “continue the path taken”.
Considerable assets
Both during his interview and in these letters, the same red thread emerges. “For a long time, for good reasons, we wanted to ‘catch up’ the gaps between France and [le territoire concerné]writes Mr. Macron. The destiny of our overseas territories is not limited to reconstituting or reproducing the hexagonal model. No, fate [du territoire] is not to perpetually catch up: it is to be ahead of the challenges of tomorrow. »
You have 49.41% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.