Français
Bruno Magras has an unobstructed view of the runway at Saint-Barthélemy airport through his office window. But on this Tuesday, July 15, his attention is riveted by Prime Minister François Bayrou's speech on live television, unveiling his plan for France's 2026 budget. While the honorary president of the Collectivité territoriale listened attentively to the Prime Minister's speech, he immediately turned down the volume when Saint-Barthélemy's transformation from a commune to an overseas collectivity was mentioned. July 15 is the anniversary of this historic changeover. It's my greatest achievement," says the former mayor. It's why I wanted to be elected and why I returned to politics in 1995: to change the island's institutional status. "A change that didn't happen overnight, and was only made possible by insistence, pugnacity and hard work.
"It could have gone wrong! "
For the record, from 1962 to 2007, both Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin were communes making up the 3rd arrondissement of Guadeloupe. Although the idea of a change in status dates back to the 1970s, it wasn't until 1996, at the instigation of Bruno Magras, that the dossier was pulled out of a drawer and developed. It took eleven years for it to come to fruition, but I thought it would be quicker," recalls the former mayor and then president. And it could have failed! Jospin's Overseas Departments and Territories Orientation Act started from the mess we'd made here. That's why I say that what we've achieved in Saint-Barthélemy is exceptional. It's the island's greatest political success. "It's a major step forward, which Bruno Magras believes the majority of the population has not fully grasped.
This is still the case today," says the honorary president. I don't know if many people have fully appreciated the importance of the step from Guadeloupe's commune to the status of autonomous overseas collectivity, the importance of the transfer of competencies, which gave an enormous boost to the region.This stage has been totally undervalued, and we have to admit that it was a major step in the right direction. This milestone has been totally undervalued by the people of Saint-Barthélemy. Every year, July 15 should be a much more significant day of celebration than it is today. The locals took it in their stride. I was quite disappointed, in the early years, to see how little consideration there was for this step that had been taken after a long struggle. "
"A job in the shadows
On the road to this success, Bruno Magras has not forgotten any of his fellow travelers, both in Saint-Barth and in Paris. We were very lucky to have Jacques Chirac as President of the Republic at the time, because he made it possible to amend the Constitution, which was adopted on March 28, 2003, and to have people who embraced our idea and supported the dossier," recalls the former town councillor. I'm thinking of Brigitte Girardin (former Minister for Overseas France), Pierre Mazeaud (former President of the Constitutional Council), Philippe Seguin, the technicians who helped me a great deal but also to the elected representatives who supported us (he also mentions François Baroin, Dominique Vian, Christian Estrosi, Michel Magras, Dominique Larifla, Victorin Lurel and others...). All the work was done behind the scenes, and the people of Saint-Barthélemy simply supported the idea we were developing. That's why we got such a good result in the December 2003 referendum. "On December 7, 2003, 78.71% of the island's voters turned out at the polls and voted 95.51% in favor of detachment from Guadeloupe and conversion into an Overseas Collectivity (JSB 542). "But if we hadn't had the support of the decision-making bodies, such as the Senate, we wouldn't have achieved this victory," asserts Bruno Magras.
Today, after eighteen years, the honorary president believes that the organic law must be fully applied. We must not venture into fields of competence that we are not capable of assuming," he explains. But we must fight to ensure that the powers we don't have are adapted to the realities of a territory as small as Saint-Barthélemy. We need protection in certain areas to avoid instability. "This is the responsibility of the elected representatives who are now in charge. No mean feat in a governance system that has perfectly embodied all the turmoil of a turbulent adolescence over the past three years. Arthur Rimbaud wrote: "You can't be serious when you're 17". But what about when you're 18? The next territorial councils will provide the beginnings of an answer.
--------------------------------------------------
Xavier Lédée: "A founding date".
In an online publication, the President of the Collectivité referred to the 18th anniversary of Saint-Barthélemy's conversion from a commune to an overseas collectivity. July 15, 2007 marks a founding date in the history of our island," wrote Xavier Lédée. This status, the fruit of a long political and institutional struggle, was carried forward with strength, intelligence and determination by Mr. Bruno Magras. At the head of the Commune at the time, he embodied the will of an entire people to assume its autonomy, with clarity and action. But he didn't do it alone. Michel Magras, his brother, played an equally decisive role alongside him (...) This choice was never about turning in on ourselves. On the contrary, it was an act of maturity: assuming our responsibilities, managing our affairs locally, while remaining fully part of the Republic (...) We owe a great deal to those who led this fight. Their vision, courage and commitment are a source of inspiration for all those who, even today, are committed to serving Saint-Barthélemy with loyalty, competence and determination. In celebrating 18 years, we are celebrating institutional stability and a collective project that continues to prove its worth. "
Alexandra Questel: "Institutional emancipation and local responsibility".
Fourth Vice-President of the Collectivité and leader of the Saint-Barth d'Abord group, Alexandra Questel wrote: "July 15 marks an essential stage in our history: that of institutional emancipation and local responsibility. Since 2007, Saint-Barthélemy has proudly moved forward as an Overseas Collectivity, strengthened by its competencies, its identity and its commitment to republican values. We owe this status to a collective desire to better respond to the realities of our territory, to act quickly and to preserve what makes us unique. It is a tool at the service of our freedom of action and our shared ambition for Saint-Barth. "
