For the new Minister Delegate for Overseas, there will have been no state of grace: barely appointed, Monday July 4, Jean-François Carenco had to face an outcry. In question, a protocol adjustment which arouses misunderstanding in the Antilles, as well as in other overseas territories. Because the successor of Yaël Braun-Pivet is not a full-fledged minister. In his function within the government, Jean-François Carenco is placed under the supervision of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. However, this configuration is not new: it was already the case during the mandate of Nicolas Sarkozy. But the news goes badly in the West Indies, territories plagued by great mistrust of the executive and where Emmanuel Macron’s policy was largely disavowed, during the last presidential and legislative elections.
“We need a real ministry of the overseas territories of full exercise”reacted on Twitter the socialist senator of Guadeloupe Victoire Jasmin. For his part, the socialist senator Victorin Lurel denounces a “electoral punishment” for the inhabitants of overseas territories. “The message sent: first the order, the rest we will advise”protests the parliamentarian, himself a former overseas minister under François Hollande (2012-2014).
However, unlike his predecessor, the short-lived Yaël Braun-Pivet, who remained at the head of the overseas ministry for barely a month before resigning to run for the presidency of the National Assembly, Jean-François Carenco can boast of solid experience in several overseas communities. Indeed, this 69-year-old enarque was prefect of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (1996-1997), then of Guadeloupe (1999-2002). He was also Secretary General of the High Commission of the Republic in New Caledonia in the early 1990s.
“Historical throwback”
Such a course does not leave the West Indian political class indifferent. Thus, the Guadeloupe federation of the Socialist Party welcomes, in a press release, the choice of a “high-quality civil servant, reputed to be a good connoisseur of our territories”, but to better castigate “the relegation of the overseas territories in the governmental hierarchy”. These criticisms are taken up by many elected officials from other territories, like the Reunion MP (Democratic and Republican Left, GDR) Karine Lebon, who condemns “a historic throwback”.
The West Indian elected officials are not unanimous, however. Thus, the Martinican deputy (GDR) Marcellin Nadeau puts it into perspective by taking the example of the minister in charge of local authorities, who has two supervisory ministers: those of the interior and of ecological transition. “Why wouldn’t we be in the same configuration overseas? », suggests this elected official, who would see it as a good way to respond to the environmental challenges that arise in overseas regions. According to him, the sole guardianship of Place Beauvau certainly risks increasing the ” repression “but could also provide security solutions: drug trafficking, arms trafficking, or even border control. “We will be very vigilant”promises Mr. Nadeau.
You have 38.75% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.