Is French Polynesia within or outwith the Republic?[La Polynésie française est-elle dans ou hors la République ?]

The institutional links between the French Republic and its overseas territories have constantly evolved over the course of history, each time affirming a little more, over time, the various specificities of these territories of the Republic. French Polynesia is no exception - on the contrary, after New Caledonia, it is the overseas territory with the greatest degree of autonomy at present, including the adoption of strong distinctive signs that underline its individuality. It is at once profoundly different from - and so far removed from - mainland France, but also an integral part of the Republic, a priori subject to its fundamental principles. This ‘in-between' situation, at the antipodes of the planet, is not, however, achieved without certain major deviations that may come as a surprise. The Polynesian autonomy that has gradually been built up has given rise to an economic and fiscal system that is far removed from the usual, to the point of sometimes offending the understanding of French people living in mainland France. In the light of this particular system, and of new regulatory experiments in employment and land protection, we propose to discuss the particularities of French Polynesia, which make it a French territory that is not France, an element of the Republic that nevertheless sometimes eludes it, an ‘in-between' not only institutionally, but also economically and fiscally, sometimes significantly distancing it from values or principles generally taken for granted.