The Corsican question suddenly burst into the presidential campaign with the outbreak of violence in the Island of Beauty following the attempted assassination in prison of Yvan Colonna, convicted for the assassination of the prefect Erignac.

Due to current events overwhelmed by the Ukrainian crisis, the opposition and rivals of Emmanuel Macron in the race for the Elysée have been slow to bounce back from the Corsican situation, but criticism is beginning to abound.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who inherited the "Corsica" file after the departure of Jacqueline Gourault from the government, must indeed go to the island on Wednesday for a two-day visit.

His mission ?

Restore public order but also renew the dialogue with local elected officials, against the backdrop of the evolution of the institutional status of Corsica.

An explosive subject.


Director:

Olivier JUSZCZAK

  • Since the violent attack by a radicalized co-detainee on March 2 of Yvan Colonna, sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of the prefect Erignac in 1998 and imprisoned in the prison of Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), the violent demonstrations have succeeded.


  • Yvan Colonna's state of health "is still very serious, he has never come out of a coma" since his attack in prison, explained one of his lawyers, Me Patrice Spinosi, on Tuesday at France Inter, confirming that a request for suspension of sentence was to be filed.

  • To appease the protests, Prime Minister Jean Castex already on Friday lifted the status of "particularly reported detainee" (DPS) of Alain Ferrandi and Pierre Alessandri, two other members of the "Erignac commando" detained on the continent.

  • A week after the attack in prison of the independence activist, the anger had risen a notch Wednesday evening in Corsica, with an intrusion and departures of fire in the courthouse of Ajaccio and several injured in clashes.

  • A 16-year-old high school student was hit in the head on Tuesday in Ajaccio by a shot from defense ball launchers (LBD), an injury requiring his transfer to Marseille.

  • Demonstrations have multiplied on the island at the call of students, high school students, nationalist organizations or unions accusing the State of bearing a heavy responsibility.

  • Wednesday evening, several hundred people had gathered in Ajaccio, Calvi (Haute-Corse) or Bastia.

    But very quickly, clashes broke out between some protesters and the police.

  • At least 14 people were injured, including a TF1 journalist in the leg, according to the prefecture.

  • Eleven days after the assault in prison of Yvan Colonna, a large demonstration was expected Sunday at 3:00 p.m., in Bastia, between anger and a call for calm.

  • After an hour, from parade to the cry of "French state assassin", the demonstration in support of Yvan Colonna turned into "riot", according to the prosecutor of Bastia, with a final assessment of 67 wounded including 44 members of the forces of order.

  • Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin will travel to Corsica on Wednesday and Thursday to "open" a "cycle of discussions" with "all the elected officials and living forces of the island", he announced Monday in a statement.

  • Corsica has a different status from that of other regions, which since 1991 has given it greater autonomy in certain areas (education, culture, housing and land, economic development, environment, transport, infrastructure management, etc.).

  • Corsica

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  • Demonstration

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