PARIS, May 15 (Reuters) – Emmanuel Macron requested on Wednesday that a state of emergency be declared in New Caledonia after several nights of violence in the archipelago, the Elysée announced in a press release published at the end of a meeting of the defense and security council chaired by the head of state.
“The President of the Republic has requested that the decree aimed at declaring a state of emergency in New Caledonia be included on the agenda of the council of ministers which will meet at 4:30 p.m.,” said the Elysée.
The Head of State “expressed his deep emotion after the death of three people, while a gendarme has just been very seriously injured”, added the Presidency of the Republic.
The state of emergency is a regime of exception created by a law of 1955 and decided by decree in the Council of Ministers which makes it possible to strengthen the powers of civil authorities and to restrict certain public and individual freedoms.
It can be declared on all or part of the territory either in the event of imminent danger resulting from serious breaches of public order, or in the event of a public calamity.
A state of emergency had already been established in New Caledonia between January and June 1985 during clashes between separatists and loyalists, under the presidency of François Mitterrand. (Elizabeth Pineau, written by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)
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