Last Friday, the packed CCISM hall demonstrated the interest generated by the conference-debate organized by SOS Radio. To mark the 18th anniversary of the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin, current and former elected officials gathered to take stock without jargon, debate institutional perspectives, and answer questions from the audience. Frantz Gumbs, Alain Richardson, and Louis Mussington were present. Daniel Gibbs, who was absent, spoke via audio. Two political scientists, Fred Reno and Julien Mérion, provided theoretical and comparative insights.
A desire for autonomy born from a lack of resources
Returning to the origins of the COM, Daniel Gibbs recalled that “we had not requested this change of status at the time, but it had been in the drawers for a long time.” The attachment to Guadeloupe did not allow for the necessary infrastructure to be financed: “We barely received 10% of what we needed.” The transition to COM, validated by referendum, was seen as a response to this impasse.
Frantz Gumbs placed this evolution in “the direction of History”: “The people of Saint-Martin are naturally autonomist. They are men and women who propose changes, but they must remain connected to the people.” A warning against the temptation to govern without consultation.
A hybrid model, with its limits
Fred Reno recalled that Saint-Martin, by adopting Article 74, became an OR (outermost region) of the European Union. But this status remains “hybrid”: certain fundamental powers still fall under the jurisdiction of the State. Julien Mérion emphasized that “autonomy is not independence” but a form of local governance: “The State sometimes shirks its responsibilities, but retains control.”
For Richardson, this autonomy was hard-won: “We had to pay for our autonomy. We put our money where our ambition was.” He points out that the promised compensation was not forthcoming: “We never saw the €11 million that was announced.” And yet, according to him, the COM was able to generate between €120 and €145 million per year.
Progress, but persistent frustrations
Louis Mussington, president since 2022, welcomes the progress: “Not everything is perfect, but we are making progress.” However, he calls for a “change in the organic law” and regrets the transfer of skills “without the concomitant resources.” In the area of training, he advocates for systems adapted to local realities, with offerings in the health, education, and technical fields.
The audience relayed several points of tension. One speaker denounced the “empty shell” of the vice-rectorate promised after Irma: “In 2019, we received a decree stating that we had a vice-rector but no vice-rectorate, an empty shell. Decisions continue to come from the Guadeloupe rectorate. It’s the COM (Comité Commune) that still pays the agents to intervene on bilingualism.” Mussington replied: “This is not normal. I have presented this problem to the new rector, who does not have the decision-making power. I will soon be presenting this issue to the ministry in Paris.”
Symbolic and concrete blockages
On the subject of land, a speaker asked for progress on the regularization of the 50 geometric steps. Mussington clarified: “We are waiting for guidance on the price per square meter before we can act.” Richardson recalled that “the management of the 50 steps is indeed the responsibility of the Collectivité, and not of the Land Agency (State/COM, editor’s note).” Another striking testimony relayed by a member of the audience: that of a fisherman, worried about the loss of the “living together” of yesteryear and the illegal aspect when his cousin from Anguilla lent him a hand to pull a net in the waters of Saint-Martin.
And now? A new step to take
For political scientists and elected officials alike, the time has come to structure the administration, foster political accountability, and develop the capacity for negotiation. “Successful autonomy requires solid human resources, trained agents, and an administrative apparatus worthy of the name,” insisted Fred Reno. Julien Mérion concluded: “If you don’t give yourself the capacity to act, no one will do it for you.” The conference demonstrated that, despite shortcomings and frustrations, a collective consciousness is emerging, and future generations of politicians must take over the statutory changes. One speaker emphasized the relevance of establishing a commission to revise the organic law for a reflection alongside the current affairs handled by the territorial council. As Richardson said, “the organic law has evolved since 2007. We have an ad hoc committee on desirable developments. We hope that the State will initiate this project (of statutory and institutional developments, editor’s note) and that Saint-Martin will be able to obtain the desired modifications. The discussion is ongoing.” And the debate has closed. To be continued… _Vx
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/politique-18-ans-apres-saint-martin-face-a-son-autonomie/
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