The visit of the new French Minister for Overseas Territories, Naïma Moutchou, to Réunion on Thursday 27 November for a two-day official tour is already raising serious questions. Called upon to chair the Indian Ocean Regional Cooperation Conference (CCROI), the minister is expected to open and conclude the proceedings of this body, which is intended to strengthen ties between Réunion and its natural neighbours: Madagascar, Mauritius, the Comoros and the Seychelles.

The G20 precedent

This political takeover from Paris has reignited an old debate: why does the French state systematically speak on behalf of La Réunion Island in international forums that directly concern the island? And why does the local political class remain, once again, almost silent?
The precedent set by the G20 left a bitter taste: while Réunionis a part of the global South, it was the French president who spoke on its behalf, reinforcing the image of a territory that is still dependent, hosting one of the last French military bases in Africa free of charge. Today, with the CCROI, history is repeating itself.

The lack of reaction raises questions

While some elected officials are busy arguing over a job offer that is supposedly discriminatory because the extra pay would not be paid to a local but to a migrant, the more fundamental issue — the representation of La Réunion — seems to have been left aside. Yet no one doubts that the island has experts, academics and professionals who are well versed in regional issues and capable of chairing an international conference that concerns them first and foremost. Why are they never given the opportunity to act?
This lack of reaction raises questions. Fear of upsetting Paris? Financial dependence on Paris? A habit of giving up? Some see it as a sign of political alienation that has crossed a worrying threshold.

France is not located in the Indian Ocean

However, a simple reminder is enough to put the debate into perspective: France is a European country, bordered by seas that are not the Indian Ocean. It shares neither the geopolitical history nor the insular and regional dynamics that La Réunion experiences on a daily basis. At transatlantic conferences, no one imagines that someone from Réunion would speak on behalf of France; why should the reverse be normal?
All the states represented at the CCROI share a history of French colonisation, with the exception of... France itself. This historical imbalance adds a heavy symbolic dimension to the presidency imposed by Paris.

Job and housing shortages: Paris ambassador must be held accountable here

If a minister travels to Réunion, the priorityof this Paris ambassador should be to address the immediate issues affecting the population: job and housing shortages, and the high cost of living caused by the excessive remuneration paid by Paris. This is especially true at a time when the State has still not adopted its budget and when the signals coming from Paris point to massive cuts in public transfers. The days of easy money seem to be over; the goal now is to maintain the french military base at a lower cost.

In the face of these developments, it is urgent that elected representatives rediscover their role: questioning, demanding accountability, defending the ability of the people of Réunion to represent themselves. Reviving the fight against alienation requires first and foremost the reclaiming of a diplomatic voice of their own — at least in areas that directly concern the island and its regional future.

M.M.