“Autonomy”: the word is written black on white in the report “acted” Friday evening by Gérald Darmanin and the president of the executive council of Corsica, Gilles Simeoni, at the end of a three-day visit by the Minister of Interior to ease tensions on the island.
According to the text of this document sent to AFP, the negotiation process “will begin in Paris from the first week of April with a first cycle of meetings”, and it must be “concluded before the end of the year 2022”.
“Its scope will cover all Corsican issues, without exclusivity,” including “the institutional evolution towards a status of autonomy that remains to be clarified,” he said.
“While the Minister of the Interior confirmed the absence of taboos as to the subjects discussed, he nevertheless reaffirmed two intangible principles, recalled by the President of the Republic: + Corsica in the Republic and the refusal to create two categories of citizens +”, continues the text.
These red lines of the head of state were immediately denounced by the pro-independence party Core in Fronte: “This frozen position closes the door to the emergence of a Corsican citizenship, guarantor of the political rights of the Corsican people,” party of Paul-Felix Benedetti, who refused to sign the document.
In this document, the tenant of Place Beauvau also pledges that “the whole truth be told about the circumstances of the assassination attempt on Yvan Colonna” on March 2 at the Arles prison (Bouches-du -Rhône), where he was serving a life sentence for the 1998 assassination of Prefect Erignac.
This truth must emerge from three investigative mechanisms: “the mission of the General Inspectorate of Justice requested by the Prime Minister, the conclusions of which will be made public”, “the referral to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office and the ongoing judicial investigation” , and finally hearings initiated within the parliament on the subject.
– “Prompt rapprochement” –
Concerning the situation of Alain Ferrandi and Pierre Alessandri, the other two sentenced to life for the death of the prefect Claude Erignac, it is specified that the lifting by the Prime Minister of their status of particularly reported prisoner (DPS) “now opens the way to (their) prompt approach in the coming weeks to the Borgo detention center”.
Through this text, MM. Darmanin and Simeoni also “agree” “that the implementation of this historic process can only be envisaged in a peaceful and calm general framework”
“Put this in writing, it’s very strong”, reacted to AFP an adviser to the government executive, stressing that “everyone will see that it has been calm for several days”.
Sent to the island by President-candidate Macron to ease tensions after the assault in prison of Yvan Colonna, still in a coma since, Gérald Darmanin had created a surprise on Tuesday evening by opening the possibility of discussions that could go as far as to “autonomy”, in an interview with Corse-Matin.
Welcoming “very strong commitments”, Gilles Simeoni had however wished that his exchanges with the minister “be recorded in a document” before being able to consider having “laid the first stone of a historic process”. A request accepted by Mr. Darmanin and therefore implemented.
In Paris, justice on Thursday suspended the sentence of Yvan Colonna, for “medical reason”. This suspension, provided for by law in the event of a vital prognosis, is “a relief for the family”, reacted to AFP Sylvain Cormier, one of the lawyers for the independence activist.
It was his aggression that sparked tensions between the state and the nationalists, frustrated that their victories in the territorial elections of 2015, 2017 and then 2021 did not bring their demands to fruition.
Ten pictures of Yvan Colonna’s attack, taken from the video taken by a prison surveillance camera, were briefly broadcast by France 3 Corse on Thursday evening, leading his lawyers to announce a complaint for “breach of secrecy of instruction”.
“Shame on France 3”, reacted Friday evening Stéphane Colonna, Yvan’s brother, on Twitter, denouncing the decision of “this sinister company to have shown the whole world, and more particularly to (his) family, the images of aggression”.