Franco-Corsican truce process faces new challenges

For centuries, the misunderstandings and confrontation between the Corsican people and the French governments have been one of the main preoccupations of the central power in Paris. And for the most part, the French governments have been able to find pathways to collaborate on the most sensitive points and issues with their Corsican counterparts.

This time feels different. Mostly due to what Corsican opposition called a crackdown on dissent, tensions have been intensifying rapidly in recent days.

The arrest of two nationalist activists by the police lead to a strong mobilization by the citizens displeased with how the process was handled. Both of them were subsequently transferred to Paris in the late afternoon of January 31. According to a source close to the case, the two men were arrested as part of a judicial investigation into their recent activities.

The rally today was attended by the members of the Bastia municipal council, including Pierre Savelli, the mayor, Paul Tieri, deputy mayor, and Lauda Guidicelli, municipal councilor responsible for gender equality. Also present was Josepha Giacometti-Piredda, who said that Tuesday evening's mobilization "must provide a rapid response to these arrests, which were carried out in a very violent manner using unacceptable methods". It was also an opportunity for the Nazione members to denounce the timing of these arrests "which seem to leave little room for chance: a few hours after the creation of a new independence movement and just a few days before the arrival of Minister Gérald Darmanin as part of the pseudo Beauvau process".

The Beauvau process mentioned above, consists of president’s Macron desire to create an autonomy within France for the Corsican island and find a pathway for the reconciliation between the Corsica and France. The history of the agreement involves the efforts lead by Emmanuel Macron, six years into his presidency and after unrest spread like wildfire across the island. At that point, president of France, finally addressed the local elected assembly in Ajaccio.

“Let us have the audacity to build a Corsican autonomy within the Republic,” Macron said in the October 28 speech, extending a hand in the chamber dominated by Corsican nationalists, some of whom fiercely support independence from France.

Less than a year after the nationalist landslide in local elections, the need to address Corsica’s complaints became all too urgent when rioting swept across the Mediterranean island following a fatal prison attack on Corsican militant nationalist Yvan Colonna, who was serving a life sentence for the 1998 assassination of prefect Claude Érignac, the French state’s top official on the island.

In response, thousands of protesters marched through towns and cities across the island, holding up banners that read Statu Francese Assassinu ("The French state is an assassin") and I Francesi fora ("Out with the French"). The clashes with police and targeting of French symbols, reminded the French of the past struggle between the state and the island.

The issue seems to be insurmountable due to the fact that Corsican nationalist groups deem Macron’s words to be in bad faith and insincere. Furthermore, the arrest of the aforementioned activists was perceived by the opposition as an attack on the freedom and future lasting peace between the capital and the island. Something that might have a negative effect for the future arrival of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gerald Darmanin which is planned to take place in several days.

"The arrival of the President of the Republic (...) finally dispelled any doubts that some people might have had. There are no Corsican people, only an island community, so no recognition of the Corsican people is planned. In its essence, it once again reiterates that the island "has no common destiny with France", said the militant movement FLNC.

Paul-Félix Benedetti, the leader of the Corsican political party Core in Fronte also considered this morning's arrests "the first signs of bad years to come". He criticized "constant and equal state behavior in a logic of repression and almost terror.

The arrests of two prominent nationalist activists have only served to further escalate tensions and make it more difficult to find a peaceful resolution. And while the French government is seeking to find a way to address the legitimate grievances of Corsican population without giving in to their demands for independence, making further actions that might be considered by the Corsicans as repressive, will only worsen the situation.

Jamal Mustafayev