Corsican autonomy is the principle and a movement for autonomy or self government for the island of Corsica, with political powers devolved from the French government.
A part of the movement also advocates for the complete independence of Corsica from France.
Corsica has been a part of France since it was purchased from the rulers of Genoa in 1768 and was then conquered by the French. [1]
The administrative region of Corsica and the Corsican Assembly was formed in 1982 as the "collectivité territoriale de Corse''. In the process, the region gained further political powers compared to mainland French local authorities. [2]
Statutes or laws passed in 1982, 1991 and 2002 have preceded devolution to Corsica, similarly to other French regions, with no specific devolution for Corsica. Although the Corsican Assembly has some regulatory powers, it cannot legislate. The Matignon proposals of July 2000 negotiated between the French government and Corsican councillors included power for national laws. Although a Corsican law was adopted on 22 January 2002 it was not completed due to disapproval of the Constitutional Council (France). [3]
In 2003, constitutional reforms were rejected in the 2003 Corsican autonomy referendum. [2] The referendum took place on July 6 2023 offered partial autonomy. [4] Over 49% voted in favour with over 50% voting against in a 60% turnout. The margin of victory was 2,190 votes, with the referendum coming only two days after arrest of Yvan Colonna who was suspected of killing Prefect Claude Erignac, the most senior French official in Corsica. [5]
In March 2003, President Sarkozy permitted experimental powers to adapt laws over a limited period and under the supervision of the French Parliament and further financial autonomy for French territorial entities. [5]
A movement for internal self-determination for Corsica can be traced back to a document titled Autonomia in 1974. [3]
After a 40-year militant campaign for Corsican independence following the founding of the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) in 1976, militants laid down arms in 2014. [6] [7]
In the second-round voting of the 2017 Corsican regional election, a coalition of nationalist politicians, Pè a Corsica won 56.5% of the vote. president of France's party, La République en Marche, polled third with 12.7% of votes. The nationalist coalition win was brought about by an agreement two years prior between the autonomists led by Gilles Simeoni (chairman of the Corsica executive council) and supporters of full independence, led by Jean-Guy Talamoni (Corsica assembly speaker). [8] The movement Pè a Corsica (For Corsica) has the aim of achieving autonomy rather than independence due to significant funding from France. [8]
In 2022, Gilles Simeoni noted that 70% of Corsican electorate that voted “in favour of a nationalist list” in the 2021 Corsican territorial election. [9]
In 2017, the leaders of Pè a Corsica; pro-autonomy Gilles Simeoni and pro-independence Jean-Guy Talamoni called for further autonomy, special status for Corsica greater autonomy, equal status for the Corsican language alongside French and amnesty for Corsicans that were jailed for violence in support of independence. The nationalist leaders also called for Corsican residency status, which would be aimed at tackling property speculation said to be caused by foreign investment. [6] [10]
A 2017 poll showed 51% in favour of further autonomy (10% were in favour of independence). [11]
A 2022 poll showed 53% in favour of full autonomy status (35% were in favour of independence). [12]
In 2018, French president Emmanuel Macron visited Corsica and stated his opposition to recognising the Corsican language and in pardoning Corsican militants. [6]
During the Corsican protests of 2022, the French government said it could offer autonomy to Corsica. Interior minister Gérald Darmanin said, “We are ready to go as far as autonomy – there you go, the word has been said'. The minister said that there would be 'no dialogue' on the matter until violent protests ended. As of 16 March 2022 rioting had ensued for two weeks in which 100 people were injured. Public buildings and police were both targeted with homemade explosive devices. [13]
On 28 September 2023, President of France, Emmanuel Macron gave a speech at the Corsican Regional Assembly in Ajaccio. In it, he offered "autonomy for Corsica and within the republic" via "a constitutional and organic text to be submitted for approval within six months", to be agreed between Corsican politicians and the French government. [14] [15]
This would allow "the possibility of defining standards on different topics or transfer of powers" which are currently controlled by the French Council of State and the French Constitutional Council. [14]
This was the first time that a French president publicly endorsed Corsican autonomy. [1]
Corse-du-Sud is an administrative department of France, consisting of the southern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged with that of Haute-Corse on 1 January 2018, forming the single territorial collectivity of Corsica, with territorial elections coinciding with the dissolution of the separate council. Although its administrative powers were ceded to the new territorial collectivity, it continues to remain an administrative department in its own right. In 2019, it had a population of 158,507.
Scottish independence is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about.
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia, which is the land mass nearest to it. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. As of January 2023, it had a population of 351,255.
The Party of the Corsican Nation is a Corsican nationalist and autonomist political party on the French island of Corsica. It was founded in Corte in 2002 by members of three nationalist parties, Union of the Corsican People (UPC), A Scelta Nova and A Mossa Naziunale.
In the United Kingdom, unionism is a political stance favouring the continued unity of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as one sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Those who support the union are referred to as Unionists. Though not all unionists are nationalists, UK or British unionism is associated with British nationalism, which asserts that the British are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of the Britons, which may include people of English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish, Jersey, Manx and Guernsey descent.
Devolution is the process in which the central British parliament grants administrative powers to the devolved Scottish Parliament. Prior to the advent of devolution, some had argued for a Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom – while others have since advocated for complete independence. The people of Scotland first got the opportunity to vote in a referendum on proposals for devolution in 1979 and, although a majority of those voting voted 'Yes', the referendum legislation also required 40% of the electorate to vote 'Yes' for the plans to be enacted and this was not achieved. A second referendum opportunity in 1997, this time on a strong proposal, resulted in an overwhelming 'Yes' victory, leading to the Scotland Act 1998 being passed and the Scottish Parliament being established in 1999.
Corsican nationalism is the concept of a cohesive nation of Corsica and a national identity of its people. The Corsican autonomy movement stems from Corsican nationalism and advocates for further autonomy for the island, if not outright independence from France.
In the United Kingdom, devolution is the Parliament of the United Kingdom's statutory granting of a greater level of self-government to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the London Assembly and to their associated executive bodies the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and in England, the Greater London Authority and combined authorities.
A Corsican autonomy referendum was held on 6 July 2003. Voters were asked whether or not they approved the restructuring of the system of administration on Corsica. Had the referendum been successful, the two départements on the island would have been abolished leaving only the Corsican Assembly which would be granted additional functions including some limited powers on raising and spending taxes. The suggestion was not approved, albeit by a very small margin. 51% voted against the proposal, with 49% supporting it. The difference between the yes and no vote was 2,190 votes.
The 2015 Corsican protests were a series of marches by several hundred Corsican nationalists that began on 25 December, in Ajaccio, capital of Corsica. During the initial demonstrations, a Muslim prayer hall was burned down and Qur'ans were set alight. Further protests were organised after the initial march despite a government ban on protests until 4 January 2016. The protesters claimed to be acting in revenge for an incident that occurred the day prior when firefighters and police were assaulted in the neighbourhood of Les Jardins de l'Empereur; however, outside observers labeled the ensuing riots as anti-Arab and anti-Muslim. The Corsican nationalist politicians have claimed their view does not legitimise xenophobia, blaming the protest on French nationalism instead. Scholarly opinions on this claim are divided.
Pè a Corsica was a Corsican nationalist political alliance in France, which was calling for more autonomy for Corsica. More specifically, it was a coalition of the two Corsican nationalist parties active on the island; that is, the moderately autonomist Femu a Corsica and the strongly committed separatist Corsica Libera. The party was led by the autonomist Gilles Simeoni. The alliance was renewed for the 2017 territorial election. However, the alliance was dissolved for the 2021 territorial election.
Femu a Corsica is a Corsican autonomist political party. It was formed for the first time prior to the 2010 French regional elections in the form of a political coalition. The coalition members, Inseme per a Corsica, the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC) and Chjama Naziunale, merged during the founding congress of the party in Corte on 15 October 2017. The PUDEMU movement also merged into the new party. The PNC was later re-established in 2019. The leader of the party is Gilles Simeoni.
Gilles Simeoni is a lawyer and politician in Corsica, France. He was mayor of Bastia from 2014 to 2016 and has been president of the executive council of Corsica since 2015. Notably, Simeoni served as the Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna's lawyer at his trial for the assassination of Claude Érignac.
The 2017 Corsican territorial elections were held on 3 and 10 December 2017 to elect 63 members of the Corsican Assembly, who in turn determined the composition of the Executive Council of Corsica. The election was held only two years after the 2015 territorial elections, and were called as a result of the planned creation of a single collectivity within Corsica resulting from the mergers of two departments, and the existing territorial collectivity of Corsica.
Edmond Simeoni was a Corsican doctor, politician and nationalist. He was the brother of Max Simeoni, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1989 to 1994 and father of Gilles Simeoni.
Laurent Marcangeli is a French politician. He was mayor of Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, in 2014 and since 2015 to present. He was a deputy in the National Assembly from 2012 to 2017 and again from 2022, representing Corse-du-Sud's 1st constituency. He was a member of the nationwide right-wing parties Rally for the Republic, Union for a Popular Movement and The Republicans before starting his own party "Ajaccio !" in 2018. In 2022, he stood for the party Horizons, part of President Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble Citoyens coalition.
Regional elections were held in France on 20 June and 27 June 2021. At stake were the regional councils in metropolitan and overseas France including the Corsican Assembly, Assembly of French Guiana and Assembly of Martinique, all for a six-year term. The Departmental Council of Mayotte, which also exercises the powers of a region, also participated in this election, because the departmental elections were held at the same time. Eighteen regional presidencies were at stake, with thirteen in mainland France and Corsica, as well as five overseas. Though they do not have legislative autonomy, these territorial collectivities manage sizable budgets. Moreover, regional elections are often perceived as a mid-term opinion poll. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional and departmental elections were postponed, first to 13 and 20 June 2021 and then to 20 and 27 June 2021.
Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, also called Nanette Maupertuis, is a French politician and academic practicing in Corsica.
In March 2022, the island of Corsica, France, saw protests in response to a prison attack on nationalist leader Yvan Colonna. There were rallies in the main cities of Ajaccio, Calvi and Bastia that descended into violent clashes between police and protestors. Protestors threw stones and flares at gendarmes.
The Reunification of Brittany or Breton Reunification is a political movement to reunite the Loire-Atlantique department with the administrative region of Brittany, to form the entire cultural and historical region of Brittany. This "reunification" is considered a prerequisite for further Breton autonomy.