World Country Guide

History and Government

History
In the 1640s, Runion was occupied by the French, displacing the Portuguese, who in 1513 had been the first European arrivals on the island. The island became prosperous during the 18th century, along with nearby Mauritius, when it lay on the shipping routes which carried trade between Europe and Asia. Sugar plantations, worked by slaves imported from Africa, formed the other main economic sector. Runion was ruled as a colony until 1946 when it was granted the status of an Overseas Department of France, under which it is an integral part of the French State, which is represented on the island by a Commissioner. Politics in recent years have been primarily concerned with internal autonomy: most people appear to favour an increase beyond the present level but very few support a complete severing of the link with France, particularly as the island is largely dependent economically on aid from the French government.

Political parties on the island include adjuncts of the main French parties – the Gaullist Rassemblement pour la Rpublique (RPR); the centre-right Union pour la Dmocratie Franaise (UDF) and the Parti Socialiste (PS) – plus the Parti Communiste Runionnais (PCR); and two relatively new outfits. One of these, the right-wing France-Runion-Avenir (FRA – literally France-Runion-Future) has made little headway; the other, the FreeDOM [sic] party, was a political phenomenon of the early 1990s which evolved from a pirate television station. After the pirate broadcasters’ leader, Camille Sudre, was banned from political activity and his wife Marguerite became president of the Council. The party has since become a permanent feature of the political landscape.

The most recent elections to the Regional Council and the General Council, held in 1998 and 2000 respectively, were won by a right-wing coalition and the left-wing alliance of Communists and Socialists.

Government
Reunion is an Overseas Department of France. As such it is an integral part of the French nation and its citizens are able to vote in French national elections. It also enjoys a measure of autonomy in its legislature which comprises the 49-member General Council and the 45-member Regional Council. Both of these bodies are directly elected to serve six year terms.