The Assembly of Corsica called on the French authorities to convene a meeting with local representatives as soon as possible to continue negotiations on the island’s autonomous status. The resolution was adopted on November 5 by 47 votes “for” and 15 “against”, with one representative not taking part in the vote.
The document calls for the talks to include the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, the leaders of the parliamentary groups in both chambers, and the Corsican elected representatives who took part in the political process under the Beauvau agreement. The aim is to draw up an agreement that will receive the necessary parliamentary support and be submitted for consideration by the Congress before the end of 2026.
Senate Vote Blocks Previous Draft
The Assembly’s decision comes after the Senate rejected the constitutional draft on autonomous Corsica on October 26. The vote ended with 134 votes “for” and 181 “against”. The draft had been adopted by the National Assembly in June, but was subsequently substantially amended by the senators before being rejected.
The text provided for the Constitution to state that Corsica has autonomous status within the French Republic. It also stipulated that the island could establish rules within its own areas of competence and adapt legal and regulatory provisions to local circumstances. The specific conditions were to be laid down in an organic law.
The French government said that rejecting the amended draft did not mean abandoning either the principle of autonomy or the Beauvau agreement. “This work must make it possible to find a common wording that remains faithful to the spirit and balance of the Beauvau agreement,” the government said.
Meeting in Paris Scheduled for November 9
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has invited a Corsican delegation to a meeting in Paris on November 9. The talks are expected to show whether political agreement around the autonomy project can be restored.
Following the meeting with the Corsican representatives, the government plans to hold talks with the leaders of the parliamentary groups as well, in order to assess the prospects for a new parliamentary majority. The draft could then be returned to the National Assembly for a second reading before potentially reaching the Congress.
However, Corsican autonomists insist that no further concessions should be made on key issues related to the island’s powers, the status of the Corsican language and the future organic law. According to the adopted resolution, the meeting in Paris must provide a political answer as to whether the process can be unblocked, rather than merely continuing the existing parliamentary procedure.
Sources: corsenetinfos.corsica, information.tv5monde.com