Corsicans welcome France's offer of autonomy, but wait for details

Corsicans have welcomed with caution statements by French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin that the government is ready to consider autonomy for the island in the Mediterranean. But what would autonomy actually look like, and how likely is it to happen?

Gilles Simeoni, the pro-autonomy leader of Corsica's regional council, welcomed Darmanin's proposal of autonomy, but is waiting for a formal proposal, and details. © Jean-Paul Pelissier/Reuters

Darmanin, who is visiting Corsica Wednesday and Thursday after two weeks of violent protests, following an attack on the jailed Corsican militant Yvan Colonna, promised an institutional reform of Corsica would be a priority for President Emmanuel Macron in his second term.

On Wednesday he said that the government was prepared to consider autonomy for the island - a first for a French politician.

But Corsican nationalists are not crying victory yet, as they have yet to see a formal proposal, and Macron could loose the election in less than a month.

The idea of autonomy is that Corsica would gain greater control over local issues like economic policy, education or healthcare.

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Corsica already has a bit of autonomy after it was designated as a special territory in 2018, which allows it to have its own legislative assembly, the Assemblée de Corse, and an executive council, which has the powers of departmental and regional leaders of mainland France.

Official autonomy could take several forms.

Darmanin evoked French Polynesia, one of France’s already autonomous territories .

“French Polynesia has an autonomous status that allows it, clearly, to be completely within the Republic, and have a particular specificity, notably in terms of economic and social issues,” he told BFM television on Wednesday.

French Polynesia has had control of education, healthcare, social services and local taxation since 2004.

New Caledonia, France’s territory in the Indian Ocean, has even more autonomy – it does not use the euro, for example, and can sign its own treaties.

Macron had proposed recognizing Corsica’s special status in the constitution, but a revision planned for 2019 did not happen.

A major concern for Corsicans is the use of the Corsican language. Autonomy could give it more control over education, and how the language is taught and dissemnited.

Taxation is also a concern, says pro-autonomy regional council president, Gilles Simeoni.

“There is no real autonomy without fiscal autonomy,” he told France Info radio, adding that other issues are specific to Corsica, like the fight against real estate speculation, or local economic development.

“What we want… is to build a Corsican society that is emancipated, democratic, responsible, with a renewed strong link with the state and the Republic.”

Whatever gets decided in Corsica will likely have to pass through a referendum, though polls show that the majority of the 350,000 people on the island back some kind of autonomy.

Meanwhile, as tensions rise, the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC), which carried out deadly attacks since the 1970s, before laying down its arms in 2014, warned Wednesday that it could resume fighting if the government remains in a state of "contemptuous denial" of Corsican demands.