‘Autonomy’ of Corsica: Paris awaits ‘proposals from nationalist majority’, Darmanin claims

“We discussed the institutional future of the island. Gerald Darmanin initially remained vague. Traveling to Corsica for two days, the Minister of the Interior spoke in more detail about his lunch this Sunday with Gilles Simeoni, autonomist, president of the executive council of Corsica.

Main topic of discussion? The institutional future of the island, “which the nationalist majority wanted to call autonomy”, summed up Gerald Darmanin. Place Beauvau’s tenant said he was “awaiting input from Gilles Simeoni and his majority” on the matter.

“I repeat, it is not the French state that wants autonomy, but the current majority of the (Corsica) executive council,” Gerald Darmanin insisted on the second day of his visit to Corsica, which began on Saturday in Calvi, recalling that the Corsican elected officials and the government were going to meet on this case this Friday in Paris. Emmanuel Macron said last March that there should be no “taboo debate” on the term “autonomy”.

“Peace Relations”

On this Sunday morning in the town hall of Corte, Gilles Simeoni hailed the “state of mind” of the minister, seeing in him “a happy omen of the work and appointments that await us and which will enable us to lead Corsica together.” on a path that will be the path of peace, emancipation and development within the framework of peaceful relations”.

“We have important discussions (…), an important meeting will take place (on Friday) in Paris,” Gerald Darmanin stressed already this Saturday, referring to his invitation sent to Gilles Simeoni and Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, autonomist president of the Assembly of Corsica to resume discussions on the future of the island. These discussions were interrupted in the fall by tensions over the last remaining members of the commandos responsible for the 1998 assassination of Prefect Erignac in Ajaccio, still in prison.