Corsican nationalism is a social and political movement in Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

, active since the 1960s.

History

In 1923 was created the Partitu Corsu d'Azione by Petru Rocca, an Italian irredentist who initially promoted the union of Corsica to the Kingdom of Italy

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...

 but after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 changed to promote Corsican autonomism with the Partitu Corsu Autonomista. Rocca in 1953 demanded from France the acceptance of the Corsican people and language and the creation of the University of Corte.

Corsica in the 1960s

The end of the 1950s saw the high point of Corsica's population and economy. Since the end of the 19th Century, Corsica had continued to decrease in population, culminating in a precarious economic situation and a huge delay in the development of industry and infrastructure.

Corsican society was then further affected by two events:

• The first was the collapse of the French colonial empire. The Colonial Army and colonial enterprises were the principal form of employment for Corsicans. In 1920, Corsicans made up 20% of colonial administration, despite being only making up 1% of Metropolitan France's population. The end of colonialism deprived young Corsicans of the opportunities of their elders and forced many to return to the island. This situation resulted in the emergence of a regionalist movement with the objective of increasing the number of opportunities for the islanders. During the uprisings in Algeria in 1958 and 1961, Corsica was the only French départment that joined the insurgent colonists.

• The second shock was the arrival of people returning from the former African colonies, which the state improperly granted land to in the eastern plain. At the beginning of the 1960s, before the arrival of returnees from Algeria, they represented around 10% of the island's population.

The first regionalist movements

Many Corsicans began to become aware of the demographic decline and economic collapse of the island. The first movement appeared as the Corsican Regional Front, in which a majority split gave Corsican Regionalist Action, and demanded that the French state take into account the island's economic difficulties and distinct cultural characteristics, notably linguistic, greatly endangered by the demographic decline and economic difficulty. These movements have caused a major revival of the Corsican language

Corsican language

Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...

, and an increase in work to protect and promote Corsican cultural traditions.

But these movements felt that their demands were being ignored and saw the state's treatment of the returnees as a sign of contempt. They argued against the idea that Corsica was made up of "virgin land" where there is no need to consult the local population on repatriation, and criticised the financial support and aid received by the new arrivals through the Society for Agricultural Development of Corsica (SOMIVAC), which had never been offered to the Corsicans.

The Aléria incident and the birth of the FLNC

In a situation that many considered dire, the group Corsican Regionalist Action (ARC) decided to choose more radical methods of action.

On the 21 August 1975, twenty members of the ARC, led by the group's leader Edmond Simeoni, occupied the Depeille cave, in the eastern plains near Aléria

Aléria

Aléria is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica...

. Equipped with rifles and machine guns, they wanted to bring to public attention the economic situation of the island, particularly that regarding agriculture. They denounced the takeover of lands in the east of the island by "pieds-noirs

Pied-noir

Pied-Noir , plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced , is a term referring to French citizens of various origins who lived in French Algeria before independence....

" and their families. The French Interior Minister at the time, Michel Poniatowski

Michel Poniatowski

Michel Poniatowski was a Polish Prince and French politician. He was a founder of the Independent Republicans and a part of the administration for President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Poniatowski served as Minister of Health from 1973 to 1974 and Minister of the Interior in the d'Estaing government...

 sent 2,000 CRS

Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité

The Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité are the riot control forces and general reserve of the French National Police. The CRS were created on 8 December 1944 and the first units were organised by 31 January 1945. The CRS were reorganized in 1948...

 and gendarmes backed with light armoured vehicles, and ordered an attack on the 22nd at 4pm. Two gendarmes were killed during the confrontation. A week later the cabinet ordered the dissolution of the ARC. The tension rose rapidly in Bastia

Bastia

Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....

 and scuffles broke out in the late afternoon, which turned to riots by nightfall that included armed confrontation. One member of the ARC was killed and many were wounded.

This event marked the start of the radicalisation of nationalist movements and the beginning of calls for independence, and forced successive governments to take the "Corsican question" into account.

On 4 May 1976, some months after the events in Aléria, nationalist militants founded the National Liberation Front of Corsica

National Liberation Front of Corsica

The National Liberation Front of Corsica is a militant group that advocates an independent state on the island of Corsica, separate from France. They also want all currently imprisoned members of the FLNC in France to be put into Corsican prisons. The organisation's presence is primarily in...

 (FLNC), a joining of Fronte Paesanu di Liberazone di a Corsica (FPCL), responsible for the bombing of a polluting Italian boat, and Ghjustizia Paolina, reputed to be the armed wing of the ARC. The founding of this new group was marked by a series of bombings in Corsica and in mainland France. A press conference was held in Casabianca

Casabianca, Haute-Corse

Casabianca is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...

, the location of the signing of the Corsican Constitution

Corsican Constitution

The first Corsican Constitution was drawn up in 1755 for the short-lived Corsican Republic and remained in force until the annexation of Corsica by France in 1769...

 and where Pascal Paoli declared Corsican independence in 1755. Although claiming to be influenced by Marxist ideology, most separatist leaders have been from the nationalist right or "apolitical" backgrounds.

Themes of Corsican nationalism

• Political sovereignty of Corsica: independence from France. Historically, the Corsicans were more similar to the Italians in culture and language (whilst still retaining their own language), and many of these Italian characteristics remain on the island today (the Corsican language, Italian Surnames, food). This would make the Corsicans more an Italian people than French, and separation from France is partially based on cultural and ethnic differences between the island and the mainland. The imposition of a revolutionary tax
  Revolutionary tax
  Revolutionary tax is a major form of funding for violent non-state actors such as guerrilla and terrorist organizations. Those outside the organization may consider it to be a euphemism for "protection money"....
  
   was practised in the 1980s, and continues to be imposed by the FLNC. The bombings against state buildings have been constant: attacks against prefectures, prisons, tax offices, military camps, the assassination of Claude Érignac
  Claude Erignac
  Claude Érignac was a former French prefect on the island of Corsica.Érignac was born in Mende, Lozère. In 1996 he went to Ajaccio in Corsica to take office as the Prefect of Corse-du-Sud. He was assassinated at 9:15 p.m. on 6 February 1998. Corsican nationalist militant Yvan Colonna was suspected...
  
  , etc. But greater in number are the bombings of second homes belonging to mainlanders.

• The promotion of the Corsican language
  Corsican language
  Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
  
  , and its compulsory teaching in schools, this concept is generally supported by most Corsicans, instead of just nationalists

• The limiting of tourist infrastructure and policies promoting tourism, and in its place sustainable economic development.

• Compliance with building permits.

• Compliance with coastal law.

• Recognition of political prisoner status for members of the Corsican nationalist movement prisoners including those who have committed acts amounting to common crimes.

Corsican nationalism and international investment

The Corsican coast is less developed than France's Mediterranean coast, due in part to bombings attributed to the nationalist movement against a number of second homes belonging to non-natives.

U Rinnovu, a Corsican nationalist movement commonly referred to as being close to the FLNC of 22nd October, describes the construction of second homes for the benefit of non-residents as "heresy" and "against economic sense". The slogan "Vergogna à tè chì vendi a terra" ("Shame on you who sell the land") is also the title of a song and nationalist anthem.

At the Matignon process under the Jospin government, Article 12 of the Matignon Accords provided for an adjustment of the coastal law making it easier to issue building permits on the Corsican coast. On the day of the discussion of this article in the Corsican Assembly

Corsican Assembly

The Corsican Assembly is the unicameral legislative body of the territorial collectivity of Corsica. It has its seat at the Grand Hôtel d'Ajaccio et Continental, in the Corsican capital of Ajaccio.-History:...

, activists from the organisation A Manca Naziunale surrounded the villa of André Tarallo

André Tarallo

André Tarallo , commonly known as Monsieur Africa, was a French businessman who worked as the top manager of African affairs for French petroleum company Elf Aquitane from the late 1970s until his arrest in the 1990s for embezzlement.Tarallo was born at Centuri, Haute-Corse...

 of the French petroleum company Elf Aquitane in Piantaredda, against the granting of contested building permits.. The article was subsequently rejected.

Political support

The coalition Corsica Libera

Corsica Libera

Corsica Libera is a political party seeking independence for Corsica. It was founded in Corte in February 2009 by members of three nationalist parties, Corsica Nazione, Rinnovu and the Corsican Nationalist Alliance...

 achieved 18.40% of votes in the French regional elections, 2010

French regional elections, 2010

Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....

.

Notable people

• Yvan Colonna
  Yvan Colonna
  Yvan Colonna is a Corsican nationalist convicted of assassinating the prefect of Corsica, Claude Erignac on 6 February 1998. He is the son of Jean-Hugues Colonna, a former deputy of the French socialist party in the Alpes-Maritimes constituency and a recipient of the French Légion d'honneur.-...
  
   (1960-)
• Marcel Lorenzoni (1944–2000)
• Alain Orsoni
• Guy Orsoni (-1987)
• Charles Pieri (1950-)
• Pierre Poggioli
• Jean-Michel Rossi (-2001)
• François Santoni (1960–2001)
• Edmond Simeoni (1934-)
• Robert Sozzi (-1993)
• Jean-Guy Talamoni (1960-)
• Gilbert Casanova, founder of the Movement for Self-determination (MPA) and ex-president of the Corse-du-Sud Chamber of Commerce, imprisoned in 2008 for drug trafficking.

See also

• Party of the Corsican Nation
• Corsican National Liberation Front
• Petru Rocca

External links

• Les plumes du paon : site with many sources, including much unpublished material regarding the Corsican question
• Corsican-Myths : mirror site of the site above, totally translated in English with new unpublished material regarding the Corsican question and more
• Unita Naziunale : Corsican nationalist website presenting a number of analyses explaining action against villas on the Corsican coast
• Corsica Nazione Indipendente : website of Corsican nationalist movement