The French president, Emmanuel Macron, spent two days visiting Corsica before pushing for the island’s identity to be recognized within France’s constitution. A leading national newspaper noted that France is a unitary state where all residents are recognized as French, yet some ethnic groups receive formal recognition—though those groups are not named explicitly in the country’s basic law.
Macron pledged to safeguard the Corsican language for the first time in French history and signaled a move toward greater regional autonomy, a draw that contrasts with earlier positions from the Elysee Palace that resisted such changes.
The shift followed unrest on Corsica, as Paris signaled a willingness to grant the local council legislative powers in specific domains and to bolster Corsican language education in schools. Macron stressed that any autonomy must align with the national interest and not undermine the state’s core responsibilities.
Officials outlined a plan for a bill within six months to formalize these proposals and launch a new phase in the island’s development. If enacted, Corsica could become France’s first region with an autonomous status. At present, Corsica is not mentioned in the current constitution, although the island has long been a focal point for separatist sentiment in France.
A separate note indicated an incident in Niger in which a French ambassador’s diplomatic immunity was removed as part of a broader diplomatic action.