President Macron has promised Corsica more autonomy. The concessions are also sparking interest among separatists in other regions.
More autonomy is an important signal for the Corsican people Photo: Rachel Bossmeyer/dpa
The partial autonomy of Corsica aims to politically resolve the conflict waged for decades by the “National Liberation Movement” (FLNC) against the central power in Paris. The clandestine group also did not hesitate to use explosives and machine guns.
After violent demonstrations following the murder of Corsican separatist Yvan Colonna two years ago, President Emmanuel Macron offered the prospect of autonomy for rebellious Corsica. Colonna was attacked by a fellow inmate.
The Corsican separatists, who have had a majority on the French Mediterranean island since 2015, now want to shake Macron's hand. They are almost unanimous in favor of the constitutional text negotiated with the government, which officially recognizes the peculiarities of the island's population, its history, its language and its culture. For the Corsicans it is an important symbol and for that reason alone it is a historical achievement.
Given that not only the island cabinet, but also the two parliamentary chambers of Paris must approve the Statute of Autonomy without restrictions and with the same wording so that it can then be anchored in the Fundamental Law of the Republic, the road is still long and full of challenges. obstacles. The conservative opposition, which has always opposed regionalist efforts at the expense of the central power, has the intention and the means to thwart the victory of the autonomists.
The planned partial autonomy does not go that far. Corsican will not become a second official language and the powers transferred to the island authorities will also remain limited. However, the concessions are already sparking the interest of other separatists in Brittany, Alsace and the French Basque Country, who would also like to include that “extra sausage” in the Constitution.
The foreseeable avalanche of similar demands coming from all parts of France and from various islands in all oceans could make the current euphoria in Corsica soon prove premature.