President Louis Mussington's New Year's wishes for 2026

Only the spoken word is authentic.

My dear compatriots,

At the dawn of this new year, I would like to express to each of you, people of Saint-Martin, of all ages and backgrounds, to those living here but also to those who live and follow us from abroad, my deep gratitude for the honor and trust you have given me by entrusting me with the reins and the destiny of our Overseas Collectivité .

I want to tell you that I continue to take and maintain the measure of your expectations, that I give the best of myself, with good faith and selflessness, to live up to your trust.

I wish you all a 2026 filled with great ambitions, sound decisions, and lasting success. I hope that together we will continue to find in every challenge an opportunity to grow and flourish.

2025 was a difficult year for our country. The world is changing, and power dynamics are emerging between the major powers.

In this tense context, Saint-Martin must continue its progress, its economic development, in a constructive and collective spirit.

In 2025, the collectivité carried out more than 30 public procurement operations, across all areas.

Regarding major projects, we have launched several initiatives:

• The complete restructuring of the Abattoir for an amount of €1.7M financed by Europe and the Collectivité.

• The rehabilitation of local sports facilities (sports fields)

• Marigot's Street Workout

• Studies for the design of the Jean-Louis Vanterpool Stadium

• The work of the Cultural Promotion Center in Marigot

• Phase 1 of the renovation of the Fire Station and the design studies for phases 2 and 3.

• Design studies for the future La Savane car park near the sports field.

• Design studies for the new Hope Estate and Marigot Vie en rose roundabouts.

• The diagnosis and planning of the future Friar's Bay Road.

• The programming of the Quartier d'Orléans Heritage School.

• The two family parks in Galisbay and Seafront will be delivered in 2026

• The Grand Case Community Centre will be delivered in 2027

• Landscape beautification projects are also planned for 2026 in Concordia, Agrément, Marigot, Friar's Bay, Grand Case: planting of trees and vegetation.

In 2025, the Collectivité has chosen to make a strong and targeted investment in local sport, in order to offer residents, and in particular young people, modernized, accessible and safe facilities.

Several sports fields have already been delivered or upgraded, others are under construction, and a program of progressive renovation of school and neighborhood facilities is underway across the entire territory.

Faced with urgent needs for workspaces, the Collectivité has been able to act pragmatically and responsively by deploying 15 operations to install modular solutions: in schools, offices, changing rooms, sanitary facilities and technical premises.

These facilities have made it possible to maintain the continuity of public service, improve the working conditions of staff and support the development of sports and educational activities, while providing quick and financially controlled responses.

The two colleges, 600 in the Orléans district and 900 in La Savane, will be delivered in 2026.

The local library is currently undergoing renovation at a cost of €12 million, funded by the State, Europe and the Collectivité. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2026.

The project to extend the Cul de Sac cemetery has also been scheduled.

Regarding the environment, we have planned the construction of a new waste disposal site and a resource center in 2026, as well as roadworks on the stormwater network, in particular.

Regarding waste management, the Collectivité allocates nearly €10 million annually for waste collection, management and optimization, not to mention urban cleaning and sanitation.

Still on the subject of roads, public lighting has undergone a complete renovation, with 2700 light points spread across the entire territory: 10 million euros committed since 2023 for 35 km of renewed network.

In 2025, we carried out 4.5 million asphalt works for road renovation.

In the future, what matters most is to “bring people together”, to act with kindness and respect for everyone.

To bring people together and thereby strengthen our territorial unity.

The Overseas territory can only flourish through territorial equity, dialogue and unity.

Decentralization is a way of governing differently, of trusting those who are committed, of recognizing the diversity of our neighborhoods, the place of each person, and of creating the conditions for a lasting dialogue, both in the majority and in opposition.

It is important that elected officials, all elected officials, are more involved in public action.

Constructive and calm criticism is part of the normal functioning of democracy. Opposition is an essential component of our collective reality.

It is her responsibility to question, to raise the alarm, and to propose.

That is why, in 2026, I hope that a new political culture will take hold: a political culture of respect, where ideas are criticized, but never people, where