Mobilization relaunched with limited support

Two years after the October 2024 agreement, the RPPRAC relaunched its mobilization on October 19, but it faces a double challenge: a struggle to gather support and unfulfilled public commitments. According to Martinique La 1ère, about fifty people attended the gathering in Dillon, a stark contrast to the larger turnout in 2024. This smaller turnout indicates a decline in momentum, even though the RPPRAC still has the potential to cause disruption beyond its current level of mobilization.

Tensions and disruptions before the gathering

A night of tension preceded the gathering, with over twenty checkpoints set up across eighteen communes, as reported by the prefecture. Although main routes were cleared by Monday morning, the impact of the night before was still felt: disrupted transport, remote work in businesses, a crisis management plan at the CHU, and the cancellation of a cruise ship docking. Stores were looted, vehicles were set on fire, and robberies occurred. These events happened simultaneously, making it unclear if they were directly linked to the RPPRAC. However, the chaos created an environment that could encourage criminal activity, with local residents being the primary victims.

Partial agreement fails to meet expectations

A halfway agreement, signed without the RPPRAC, aimed to reduce prices by an average of 20% across 54 product categories. Four measures were planned: removing the maritime tax, zero VAT, compensation for approach costs, and adjusting export prices. Two of these—removing the maritime tax and zero VAT—have been implemented, while the other two remain pending. According to the DGCCRF’s fifth report, prices on the product categories exempt from the two taxes have decreased by an average of 11.3% compared to the period before the agreement. However, this result falls short of the 20% target, and the cost savings are mostly due to reduced tax revenues, with other mechanisms still blocked. Additionally, this price basket does not include essential items like housing, energy, fuel, or plane tickets, leaving many households feeling the impact beyond the scope of the agreement.

Structural factors behind high prices

The Competition Authority points to several structural causes behind high prices: a narrow market, reliance on supplies from the French mainland, taxation, and approach costs. On the margins, its assessment is more nuanced, noting that available data show similarities with the mainland but do not fully explain the situation within integrated groups and their internal billing practices. The authority calls for mandatory data collection and more resources for the price observatory. While opacity in pricing does not prove abuse, it does contribute to public distrust.

RPPRAC shifts demands to institutions

The RPPRAC now demands the departure of the prefect and the resignation of the president of the executive council before resuming local dialogue. It also requests a government representative with a genuine mandate to negotiate. This strategy shifts the focus of the price demands from local to national institutions. However, it contains a contradiction: rejecting the officials responsible for monitoring the agreement makes it harder to hold them accountable. By calling on Paris, the collective aligns with Serge Letchimy on one point: the state must fulfill its commitments. While the anger of the RPPRAC is understandable, the political conditions they are setting may not be widely supported.

National dimension and need for action

Mobilizations on the mainland and tensions in overseas territories have given the issue a national dimension. Condemning looting is necessary, but so is fulfilling commitments and advancing the law against the high cost of living. Simply maintaining order is not enough to address the issue of purchasing power. The population has nothing to gain from new blockages or deadlocks. As the agreement is set to expire by the end of 2027, it is essential to activate the remaining measures, publish clear reports, and clarify the margins. Concrete, verifiable, and visible results in prices are necessary, and this requirement must become a standard practice.