The extent to which Pacific Island Nations (PINs) are still influenced by the colonial legacies of France and the United Kingdom is profound and pervasive, manifesting across political sovereignty, economic structure, institutional design, and geopolitical alignment.

This influence is not monolithic; it varies drastically between independent states (like Fiji and the Solomon Islands) and non-sovereign territories (like New Caledonia and French Polynesia), yet in both cases, the former colonial power remains an unavoidable, dominant partner.

1. France: Enduring Sovereignty and Geopolitical Anchor

France's influence is the most direct and constitutionally entrenched because its Pacific territories—New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna—are not independent nations but integral parts of the French Republic.

Direct Political and Constitutional Control

The primary manifestation of France’s colonial legacy is the denial of full sovereignty for these territories, a situation France is intensely resistant to changing.

• New Caledonia (a sui generis collectivity): Despite the Nouméa Accord (1998) providing a pathway to self-determination through three referendums, the most recent one in 2021 resulted in a vote against independence (though heavily boycotted by the indigenous Kanak population). France retains control over defense, foreign affairs, currency, and law and order. Recent violent unrest (2024) and the negotiation of a new political statute, such as the proposed "State of New Caledonia" within France, highlight the continuous, and sometimes violent, struggle between Kanak national aspirations and the enduring French state presence. The collapse of governments in Paris can directly impact the political stability and budgetary aid of New Caledonia, underscoring its dependent political status.

• French Polynesia (an overseas collectivity): While enjoying a higher degree of internal autonomy, French Polynesia is fundamentally tied to Paris. Its citizens are French nationals, participate in French national and European Parliament elections, and rely on the French state for defense and the major financial mechanisms that underpin its economy. This non-sovereign status means their entire political system is subordinate to French constitutional law.

Economic Dependency and Strategic Assets

France's primary motivation for retaining these territories is strategic and economic, locking the PINs into a relationship of deep dependency.

• Nickel and Geopolitical Strategy: New Caledonia holds up to a quarter of the world's known nickel reserves. French economic and strategic policy is heavily focused on managing and protecting this vital resource, which is critical for the global energy transition. This economic imperative directly fuels the French commitment to retaining the territory.

• Massive State Funding: The local economies are structurally reliant on massive injections of state aid from Paris—transfers that support infrastructure, healthcare, education, and civil service salaries, creating a vested interest in remaining with France among a significant part of the population.

• Military Presence: France's permanent military presence in the Pacific (the Forces Armées de Nouvelle-Calédonie and the Forces Armées en Polynésie Française) establishes it as a major security actor in the Indo-Pacific, leveraging its Pacific territories to project power and influence its foreign policy with regional partners like Australia and New Zealand.

2. The U.K.: Institutional Legacy and Post-Colonial Trade

The U.K.'s influence is less a matter of direct control and more a legacy of institutional structures and ongoing development aid and trade agreements with its former colonies, such as Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

The Enduring Institutional Blueprint

Despite achieving independence in the 1970s and 80s, these nations still operate largely on structures bequeathed by the U.K.

• Westminster System: Most former British colonies maintain a version of the Westminster parliamentary system of government (parliament, cabinet, public service), often struggling with the constitutional and governance challenges inherent in adapting this complex foreign model to diverse local cultures and political realities.

• Common Law: Their entire legal frameworks are founded on English Common Law, ensuring judicial and commercial practices that align with those of the U.K. and the Commonwealth.

• Commonwealth Membership: Membership in the Commonwealth of Nations provides a formal diplomatic and cultural grouping that maintains regular contact with the U.K. and other former colonies, offering a soft power avenue for British influence in areas like governance, education, and sport.

Economic Dependency and Trade Preferentials

The economic legacy is one of narrow export bases and a continued reliance on European trade access and development assistance.

• Aid Dependency: Countries like the Solomon Islands remain heavily dependent on Official Development Finance (ODF). While Australia, New Zealand, and increasingly China are major donors, the European Union (EU)—often with U.K. legacy funds and programs—remains a significant donor of development aid, particularly for climate change resilience, economic reform, and governance initiatives. For the Solomon Islands, the EU is the second-largest trade partner after China and before Australia, and the country is a key beneficiary of the EU's Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and its budget support programs.

• The Samoa Agreement (ACP-EU): Independent PINs are historically linked to Europe via the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. The successor to the Cotonou Agreement, the Samoa Agreement, grants preferential access for many products (like canned tuna from the Solomon Islands) to the EU market. This trade framework is a direct continuation of colonial-era preferential access arrangements, modernized for the post-independence era.

3. Geopolitical and Cultural Influence: The "Re-engagement"

The colonial legacy is becoming more evident again as Europe, particularly France and the U.K., actively re-engages in the Pacific within the context of Indo-Pacific geopolitical competition.

• France's Indo-Pacific Strategy: France explicitly uses its overseas territories as the physical anchor for its Indo-Pacific strategy. The defense forces stationed in New Caledonia and French Polynesia allow Paris to project a presence into the region, focusing on maritime security, freedom of navigation, and diplomatic engagement with regional bodies like the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

• UK's "Global Britain": Post-Brexit, the U.K. is seeking to re-establish its global relevance under the banner of "Global Britain." This involves a renewed focus on its former colonies through trade and security ties. The U.K. has been increasing its naval presence and diplomatic engagement, leveraging its historical ties to gain influence in a region dominated by the U.S.-China strategic rivalry.

• Cultural and Social Links: The long-term cultural imprint remains strong. The use of English or French as official or working languages in education, business, and government perpetuates European cultural and intellectual norms. Moreover, historical migration patterns mean many islanders have family links to the U.K., France, or other Commonwealth/Francophone countries, enabling continued labor mobility and remittances that tie the islands to European economies.

The Pacific Island Nations are highly influenced by the colonial legacies of France and the U.K., albeit in different ways.

For the French territories, the legacy is one of unresolved self-determination and direct economic dependency tied to French strategic interests (nickel, maritime domain). For the independent former U.K. colonies, the legacy is an institutional blueprint and a continuing, though diversified, reliance on European aid and trade access, which is now being leveraged by both powers to assert their relevance in the competitive Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape. The colonial history, therefore, is not a finished chapter, but a living script being constantly updated in the face of new global realities.