Emmanuel Tjibaou has made history in New Caledonia by winning a seat in the French National Assembly. He is the first pro-independence Kanak leader to serve in the French legislature in Paris in 38 years.
Emmanuel Tjibaou, 47, ran for the “Independence and Nationalists” alliance. Despite debates among pro-independence parties, they all supported Tjibaou in the second constituency. He won 57.01% of the vote in the run-off against Alcide Ponga of the Rassemblement-LR party.
Emmanuel is the son of the late Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who founded the independence coalition Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) and was assassinated in 1989.
Emmanuel Tjibaou’s victory shows the strength of the new generation in New Caledonia. He is a cultural worker, not a traditional politician. He used to be the director of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Noumea and now works as a cultural director in the Northern Province. He was supported by Amandine Darras, an environmentalist of Caldoche heritage.
Their campaign received strong support from young people, including those involved in recent protests. Tjibaou’s final TikTok message resonated with many. Sitting in a traditional Kanak house, he said, “Thanks to the young people of our nation who mobilised for the first round – sitting here in the case, we’re following the path that our elders have laid out. We’re waiting for you for the second round of the legislative elections… I’m waiting for you – everyone to the polls!”
This call to action worked. The independence movement received 9366 more votes than the anti-independence forces, dealing a significant blow to the Loyalist bloc and French government policy in the Pacific.
The last Kanak independence leader in the French National Assembly was Rock Pidjot, who served from 1978 to 1986. After 1986, the French government changed electoral boundaries, making it hard for the independence movement to win seats. However, last September, Kanak politician Robert Xowie won a seat in the French Senate. With Tjibaou now in the lower house, the voice of the indigenous Kanak and independence supporters will be heard in the French government.
New Caledonia’s other National Assembly seat was won by Nicolas Metzdorf of the Loyalists-Rassemblement bloc. Metzdorf was re-elected after serving in the French parliament from 2022 to 2024.
