The leader of Hong Kong assured Thursday, June 9, in her last speech before the Legislative Council, to be "
not ashamed
" of her record, at the end of a mandate marked by unprecedented unrest and a popularity rating at the lowest.
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From Carrie Lam's five-year term as Hong Kong's chief executive, many will remember the huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests of 2019, the draconian national security law imposed by Beijing and the coronavirus epidemic which killed more than 9,000 people. .
It is however with emotion that Carrie Lam, who will leave office at the end of June, appeared before the Legislative Council to affirm: “
I can affirm with force that I have presented a balance sheet of which I am not ashamed
”.
"Historical mission"
Carrie Lam acknowledged that her term marked the "
most difficult
" period in Hong Kong's history after the handover.
The leader assured Thursday that she had never thought of resigning, stressing the support of Beijing and her family, as well as a sense of her "
historic mission
".
Yet at the height of the 2019 pro-democracy protests, Carrie Lam said in a leaked recording of a closed-door meeting that she would quit if she had a choice, causing '
unforgivable havoc'.
".
After the unrest, Beijing reshaped Hong Kong in its authoritarian image by imposing a national security law that cracks down on dissent and overhauling the electoral system to exclude pro-democracy figures.
Carrie Lam felt that the governance of her city had improved after this intervention by Beijing to put "
patriots
" in power.
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Carrie Lam's tenure was also marked by the pandemic.
After having preserved the city from the coronavirus thanks in particular to a strict closure of the borders, the authorities were overwhelmed by the Omicron wave which claimed thousands of lives.
The government has favored reopening borders with mainland China over the rest of the planet, cutting off what was once a logistics and business hub from the rest of the world.
On Thursday, Carrie Lam ruled out the possibility of a reopening of the border with mainland China in the near future.
"
If we take as a basis what was discussed from September to December last, in the short term, we do not see the possibility
said Mr Lam, referring to political negotiations between Hong Kong and Beijing before the Omicron wave.