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In the deliberation room of the Territorial Collectivity building, a loud yawn is heard. Yet, while the traditional sequence of official speeches on August 24 may seem long after the morning Mass and the ceremony at the war memorial, the content of the addresses has, on several occasions, captured the attention of those present—particularly by hinting at the launch of election campaigns. Both for the Senate elections on September 27 and for the territorial elections in March 2027.
As has been the custom for over a year, the president of the Collectivité and his communications team pulled out all the stops for the ceremony. “Not as much as for July 14,” joked a member of the audience. Broadcast online, the various stages of the Saint-Barthélemy patron saint’s day celebration allowed viewers to follow the event live. This included the official speeches and, later, the performances on the docks and the fireworks display.
A gesture for the young people?
When he took the podium, President Xavier Lédée noted that he wanted his final August 24 speech of his term to be “less of a list and more forward-looking.” He thus reiterated the “liberal philosophy” that guides his actions, paid tribute to the Collectivité’s staff, and spoke about the island’s identity—one of the Collectivité’s favorite themes in recent months, alongside that of authenticity. Xavier Lédée emphasized the need to act with “clarity, consistency, and pragmatism” regarding the EDF power plant issue, “a matter that has been on the table for more than fifteen years.” The president addresses the issue of healthcare—particularly the hospital’s reconstruction—as well as the relocation of the Gustavia school complex to Saint-Jean. He then expresses his desire to include in the next budget a funding line to support the creation of employment opportunities for young people. This announcement is reminiscent of the one he made during his speech on August 24, 2024, when he expressed his desire to “propose to elected officials that they allocate a budget line to facilitate the launch of businesses by our young entrepreneurs through an interest-free loan.” A measure that never came to fruition.
Looking Ahead
Although he did not intend for it to be “exhaustive,” Xavier Lédée’s speech nevertheless included numerous references to ongoing projects. One example is the upcoming release of the “white paper” that will summarize the content of the various regional meetings. By looking ahead in this way, the president seems intent on affirming his intention to continue his work at the helm of the Territorial Collectivity—and thus to seek a second term. Nevertheless, he has not formally expressed this intention—at least not yet.
Frantz Gumbs’ “Dictated” Vote
For his part, Frantz Gumbs, the member of the National Assembly representing Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, began by stating that he will not be running in the Saint Martin senatorial elections. The lawmaker added that his choice of whom to vote for in Saint Barthélemy will be “dictated” by that of his “key contact” on the island, namely President Xavier Lédée. Without betraying any surprise at this public declaration of voting intent, Senator Micheline Jacques—who intends to run for reelection on September 27—raised several important issues.
“No Local Preference for Employment”
For example, she recalled that in 2025, she “took the initiative to create a framework for discussion between the national government and the local government prior to the renewal of the power plant and, more broadly, the island’s energy policy.”
Before honoring prominent figures in the island’s community and cultural life, the senator made a point of clarifying: “No, Saint Barthélemy does not have the so-called ‘local employment preference’ clause. Nor does the Collectivité have the same status as French Polynesia, which can implement measures that we cannot utilize.” She added: “I also want to reiterate that the tax status is not intended as an ‘advantage,’ nor is it the sole motivation for our status. It is a condition, certainly, but one that serves as compensation for the constraints of island life and is adapted to our economic and geographic reality. Furthermore, I caution against approaches that reduce the tax system to mere tax avoidance. I say this exactly as I think it, whether people like it or not. In this regard, let’s keep in mind that the challenge of social taxation lies ahead of us.”
The mayor of the town of Sainte-Anne (Guadeloupe), Francs Baptiste, and the secretary general of the prefecture, Fabrice Thibier, also spoke during the ceremony. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a model created by Patrice Gouard and donated to the Territorial Collectivity by the president of the Federation of Veterans, Philippe Laduré. The time had then come to begin the festivities—before the start of any electoral “hostilities.”
