New Caledonia: a first citizen opinion to rebuild trust

In the corridors of the Congress of New Caledonia this weekend on Boulevard Vauban, a subtle theme resonated: the theme of a democracy attempting something more than mere rhetoric. For the final session of its experimental citizens' assembly, launched by President Veylma Falaeo, 24 randomly selected Caledonians presented their first citizen opinion, accompanied by 17 recommendations. The stated goal is simple to express but difficult to achieve: to strengthen trust in institutions in a country shaken since May 2024 by a democratic crisis that has left its mark.

At the heart of the discussions was a very concrete question: “What tools and rules can be put in place to improve the transparency of public decisions and strengthen citizens' trust in institutions?” Over four days of work guided by experts, the group first reached a “shared diagnosis,” using a phrase that sums up the current atmosphere: confidence in New Caledonian democracy, but a “weakened” trust in its institutions. Jovanka Cherika, 42, sums up the sentiment: “This kind of assembly is necessary so that institutions can understand where we stand today, the situation we are in in the country.”

Seventeen tracks, and the promise of follow-up

The package of proposals focuses less on grand theory than on small mechanisms that, taken together, change citizens' perceptions. Kameli Vehikite, 25, immediately mentions "the creation of a position for an institutional citizen mediator." Other recommendations hit where it hurts: increasing transparency in public spending, providing information "more simply and clearly" to reach everyone, giving more space to the workings of institutions in schools, and scheduling public sessions on Saturdays. The idea is clear: if institutions want to be believed, they must first be transparent, accessible, and accountable.

The moment of truth remains, the one that all participatory democracies face sooner or later: the political reckoning. Congress insists that the opinion is "not a simple consultation" but "the first step in a co-construction process" intended to be ongoing, with participation complementing representation. The services on Boulevard Vauban must now examine these 17 recommendations, and it is here that the credibility of the system will be tested, as decisions are adopted, rejected, and transformed. A local experiment, modest in scale, but one that could become a barometer: that of the capacity of New Caledonian institutions to reconnect with the realities on the ground, without promising the moon, but by demonstrating, concretely, what is changing.