New Caledonia's veteran politician, Jacques Lafleur, says the territory cannot live in peace and prosperity without its links to France but he warns that France is in a difficult situation because it is living beyond its means.
Mr Lafleur, who has this year formed a new anti-independence party made the comment in an interview with the Noumea daily, Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes.
He says the political splits don't bode well as the current territorial government no longer manages to get a consensus.
Mr Lafleur says New Caledonia has enjoyed a period of prosperity but there is a decline that he says will hit the territory with a delay in the form of a social and ethnic crisis.
He says New Caledonia is a multi-racial and multi-cultural country in which nobody should be left behind or there is a risk that the conditions prevalent in the late 1970's will be recreated.
Mr Lafleur formed the RPC party after failing to win the leadership of the Rassemblement/UMP Party last year.
