French President Emmanuel Macron proposed to Corsica Island “autonomy within the Republic” on Thursday in an address to the members of the Corsican Assembly, stressing that this “historic moment” would not be achieved “against the State, nor without it [state].”
“The status quo would be a failure for all [members] of both parties,” elaborated Macron, seemingly wishing to end 18 months of talks that began after the outbreak of violence on the island in 2022.
The violence started following the death of pro-independence militant Yvan Colonna, who was attacked in prison, where he was serving a life sentence for the 1998 assassination of the prefect of Corsica, Claude Erignac.
Macron did not directly address the idea of the Corisican language gaining official status alongside French. He only specified that it would be “better taught and placed at the heart of the life of each Corsican.”