France: the tribute paid to Yvan Colonna in Corsica embarrasses the presidential candidates

The independence activist Yvan Colonna died on March 21, 2022. © DANIEL PIER NURPHOTO VIA AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The funeral of Yvan Colonna is being held this Friday March 24 in Cargèse, his native village, after his death on Monday following his attack in prison, where he was serving a life sentence for the assassination of the prefect Claude Erignac in 1998. The arrival of his body in Corsica was watched by nearly 2,000 people who formed a guard of honor as flags were flown at half-mast.

Celebrations that made some candidates for the presidential election react.

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Without the war in Ukraine, the subject would probably have given rise to a chorus of protests and controversy as only a presidential election can provoke, analyzes

Aurélien Devernoix

of the political service of RFI.

But the demonstrations of force by the Corsican separatists after the attack and then

the death of Yvan Colonna

hardly stirred the campaign.

The triumphant welcome reserved for the remains of the nationalist militant has however aroused some indignation, such as that of the right-wing candidate, Valérie Pécresse: "

I don't forget that Yvan Colonna is not a hero, it's d first the assassin of the Érignac prefect. 

»

Same story with the socialist Anne Hidalgo, who however quickly shifts to the question of the political future of Corsica.

“

I am also, even if it should not be directly linked, for the question of the status of Corsica to be thought out with the Corsican elected officials and the Corsican population and within the Republic, but frankly, the flags at half mast, yes , it shocks me

,” she said. 

Because if the candidates are embarrassed by the celebrations around Yvan Colonna, the question of the status of Corsica remains a real political marker: Marine Le Pen, Éric Zemmour or Fabien Roussel oppose it, where Yannick Jadot, Valérie Pécresse, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Anne Hidalgo are rather in favor of it.

Emmanuel Macron is faithful to his "

at the same time

": he wants to start a discussion on the subject.  

►Also listen:

Corsica: "Autonomy is a portmanteau word in which you can put almost any content" 

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  • Presidential France 2022

  • Eric Zemmour

  • Valerie Pécresse

  • Yannick Jadot

  • Fabien Roussel

  • Jean-Luc Melenchon

  • Anne Hidalgo

  • Emmanuel Macron