France’s island region of Corsica is seeing new stirrings of nationalism, as pro-independence parties won power in the regional elections earlier this month. The new leaders have promised to move toward independence, but cautiously.
The caution is based on a few points, among them polls that make clear that most Corsicans want a vote on independence, but that many are not sure it’s a realistic goal economically. Unlike Spain’s Catalonia or the U.K.’s Scotland, Corsica does not have a strong economic base to sustain it.
The nationalist win went almost unnoticed while most attention in France was focused on the results in areas where the right-wing National Front was vying for power, Corsica’s 320,000 residents have been officially French since 1768, although the island is much closer to Italy. It has a distinct culture and language; one of the new leaders made a point of giving his inaugural address entirely in Corsican.
While the focus is now on legislation and negotiation, Corsica had an armed independence movement that operated from the mid-70s until two years ago. For more details, from TheLocal.fr, click HERE
Photo: Lighthouse, Ajaccio, Corsica by Myrabella / Wikimedia
