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The statutory and institutional evolution of Saint Barthélemy—driven primarily by its success—continues to spark curiosity. This is particularly true for territories that have embarked on a thorough review aimed at achieving greater autonomy. Take Guadeloupe, for example, where several conferences have already been held to discuss the possibilities for institutional change. So, when the president of the Guadeloupe Departmental Council, Guy Losbar, reached out to President Xavier Lédée to gather more information, the latter took the initiative to organize a meeting—or, to put it more grandly, an institutional “summit.”
Thus, on Tuesday, August 25, several prominent figures gathered in the deliberation chamber of the Collectivité’s headquarters. To better understand the challenges of institutional reform, the president of the Collectivité of Saint Martin, Louis Mussington; Congressman Frantz Gumbs; the mayor of the commune of Sainte-Anne (Guadeloupe), Francs Baptiste; and, of course, Guy Losbar were in attendance.
To share their respective experiences, Bruno Magras, honorary president of the Collectivity; Michel Magras, former senator from Saint Barthélemy; and, via video link, Yannick Abraham, first vice president of the Territorial Council of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The senior management of the Collectivité de Saint-Barth, consisting of Claudine Gréaux and Michel Laplace, was also present, as were the port director, Frédéric Blanchard, and the airport director, Fabrice Danet. Not to mention the head of the public finance center, Nicolas Ganzer.
Pragmatism and Education
Unsurprisingly, the successive remarks by Bruno and Michel Magras—key figures in the institutional evolution of Saint Barthélemy—stood out for their accuracy and precision. Whether discussing chronology, legal matters, or statutory provisions, the two former elected officials drew on their respective experiences. The honorary president spoke with pragmatism and his usual candor, while the former senator demonstrated the pedagogical skill befitting the professor he once was. The insights provided by Claudine Gréaux and Michel Laplace regarding a thorough understanding of legal and administrative concepts, as well as the essential training of civil servants, were listened to with great attention.
The Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Experience
“True equality,” “differentiation,” “specific characteristics,” “institutional framework,” “local authority,” “exercise of responsibilities”—the concepts discussed, on which questions were raised, were addressed. This was the case with representatives from both Saint Barthélemy and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. When he took the floor, Yannick Abraham, First Vice President of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, emphasized the need to “continue the process of clarifying the division of powers between the State and local governments.” The elected official specifies that he hopes to see “a deepening of distinctions and decision-making autonomy whenever local realities warrant it,” in order to achieve “a more effective Republic.”
For the president of the Guadeloupe Departmental Council, such a meeting was essential. “In Guadeloupe, we need to be able to merge our two local governments so that we don’t have this overly complex, multi-layered structure,” he noted. “It’s all very complex. Between the merger and the acquisition of new powers, it’s both a technical and legal matter, so we need to find the right words to ensure that everyone in the community understands that it’s in their best interest to avoid the pitfalls that other territories have faced. That’s why sharing experiences is so helpful. Today, we can see that the situation in Saint-Barth is evolving.”
For his part, Michel Magras was keen to point out that the Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy “never sets itself up as a preacher.” He explains: “We’re explaining a model that is our own and that is adapted to our own reality. In Guadeloupe, the same line of reasoning must be applied, but on an entirely different scale.” Michel Laplace notes that such an exercise—in this case, sharing experiences—allows us to “take a step back” after some twenty years of statutory evolution.
