Page 54 - The Economist

54 Europe The Economist December 9th 2017
Corsica dence movement. Some of them went to
Drifting away Barcelona to observe the referendum in
October.
One nationalist MP, who thinks per-
haps a third of the island’s 330,000 people
already want more autonomy, hopes that
supportforindependence will rise enough
to merita referendum in a decade orso. For
FOZZANO now, though, the two factions of the
Advocates ofgreaterautonomyare growing stronger
party—radical separatists and moderate
TAND in Fozzano (pictured), a hamlet of advocates of autonomy—have agreed to
Sstone houses perched above the spec- bury the independence question until at
tacular western coast of Corsica, and it is least 2027.
easy to see why locals think of themselves The central government, meanwhile,
as special. Rugged mountains tower be- has shown no interest in engaging with
hind. Below, the Mediterranean glimmers Corsican nationalists. Mr Macron has
under a setting sun. Gilles Simeoni, a visit- stayed aloof, says Mr Simeoni, though that
ing politician in a duffel coat, tells a crowd might change after the election. France’s
thatvillageslike theirsare the repository of education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer,
the island’s true, “deep culture”. He earns upset the nationalists by tweeting in No-
appreciative nods and supportive mutter- vember that the country will allow only
ingasstrongcoffee and darkchocolates are one language. “They have a Jacobin men-
passed round. tality,” says a Corsican politician, bemoan-
Corsicanshave taken a shine to Mr Sim- ing France’s exceptionally centralised sys-
eoni and his fellow nationalists. They vot- tem ofgovernment.
ed on December 3rd for a new territorial Mr Macron may want to reconsider his
council that will combine the island’s intransigence. Places like Corsica and Brit-
north and south into a single administra- tany, which also harbours a regionalist
tive unit. In the first round, the Pè a Corsica movement, could be given more autono-
movement which he jointly leads won an my without threatening the French state.
impressive 45% ofthe vote. (La République The alternative maybe thatharder-line na-
En Marche, the party led by France’s presi- tionalists grow more popular. In Vico, a
dent, Emmanuel Macron, came fourth An uphill struggle for autonomy mountain village farther north, Paul-Félix
with just 11%.) The run-off election on De- Benedetti ofRinnovu Naziunali, a separat-
cember10th will probablyconfirm that na- Catalonia, might ultimately seek outright ist movement, drew a solid crowd during
tionalists will run the council, as they have independence. A journalist in Ajaccio the campaign. “Free the Corsicansfrom op-
forthe past two years. points out the difficulties: whereas pression,” he proclaimed, railing against
Corsicans seeking more autonomy wealthyCatalonia generates19% ofSpain’s France’s “colonisation” of the island. Then
have grown strongeroflate. In 2014 the Na- GDP, Corsica is isolated and hard-up, ac- he switched into Corsican. His party got
tional Liberation Front of Corsica, a sepa- countingforlessthan 1% ofFrance’s. YetMr less than 7% of the votes in the first round.
ratist militant group, gave up their 40-year Simeoni and his fellow nationalists have But a decade ago few people took Catalan
war against the French state. That had in- spent time studying the Catalan indepen- secessionism seriously, either. 7
volved assassinations, house bombings
and, some claim, involvement with the is-
land’s murderous mafia networks. In 1998 Russian sports doping
militants assassinated a préfet, Paris’s rep- Olympic medals stripped, top ten countries
resentative on the island. But after the vio- It has taken several investigative reports Previous decade, by games
lence ended, “we won the battle of ideas”, across three years. But at long last the 0 10 20 30 40
says a senior party figure in Ajaccio, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Russia
capital. The party appeals to a sense of dé- decided on December 5th to punish
gagisme, a popularbacklash evidentacross Russia for running a state-sponsored Belarus
France against established political parties doping programme. Russian athletes
and in favourofsomeone new. hoping to compete in the winter games in Kazakhstan
The nationalists narrowly won previ- February in Pyeongchang, South Korea,
ous local elections in 2015. Then in June will have to do so under a neutral flag— Ukraine
this year they scooped three ofthe island’s after proving they are clean. The World
four constituencies in the national legisla- Anti-Doping Agency provided extensive Turkey
ture, displacing representatives of ancient proof of cheating before the summer
dynastic families. “We have convinced games in Rio in 2016, but the IOC still let China
people who never voted nationalist,” says Russia take a team to Brazil. It has tough-
Paul-André Colombani, one of the new ened up recently: since the start of No- Uzbekistan
MPs. Another MP, Jean-Félix Acquaviva, vember, Russia has been stripped of 11
saysCorsicansseekdevolved powerssimi- medals it won when hosting the winter Moldova
larto those enjoyed byScotland within the games in Sochi in 2014, a pet project of 2008 (Summer)
United Kingdom. These include local con- Vladimir Putin’s. Russian officials have Armenia 2012 (Summer)
trol of police, expanded use of the Corsi- reacted with indignant (some might say 2014 (Winter)
can language (which is closer to Italian Olympian) anger, calling the ban part of a North Korea 2016 (Summer)
than French) and some fiscal powers. Western campaign to keep Russia down. Source: International Olympic Committee
The question is whether Corsica, like