It's no longer the French Gouvernement, and that's the main problem.

French St Martin partially broke off from France and has a sort of man-in-the-middle status. They had had enough of being managed via Guadeloupe, which is understandable.

You just have to look at the parking spaces in the street opposite the town hall to understand.

They all have their own reserved space, all up to the 4th Vice-President ..

The sad reality of the Caribbean is that most so-called "pro-independence" politicians are only in it to grab power and all that can me made from it, à la Duvalier.

Since their new status, infant mortality has increased on the French side of St Martin...

Running an Island is not a profitable business, if a country like France, the Netherlands or the US want to cash out to do it. I would not get in the way and nor would most inhabitants who don't want to break away.