Corsican autonomy bill faces major changes in Senate as right-wing lawmakers push amendments that could weaken territorial self-governance.
Second stage of Corsican autonomy bill
The second parliamentary stage for the constitutional bill on Corsican autonomy took place on Monday, with the Senate set to examine the text in a public session starting at 4:30 PM. The upper house, which traditionally represents territories, will review and potentially amend the version passed by the National Assembly in June of last year.Senate may alter the bill significantly
Following the examination of the report by Senator Muriel Jourda in the middle of last week, it is becoming increasingly clear that the text has little chance of emerging unaltered from the Senate. The republican right, which holds an overwhelming majority, is pushing for amendments that would notably remove the concept of the Corsican community, a move seen as potentially constituting a casus belli for the territorial autonomy majority.Amendments target key autonomy concepts
The republican right is also seeking to regulate the normative and legislative power, subjecting it to systematic validation by the National Assembly and the Senate as well as to a review by the Council of State. Senator Claude Malhuret from the LIRT group has submitted a similar amendment. The right also aims to remove the concept of non-regression.Autonomist senators push back
Among the amendments proposed, Paulu Santu Parigi, an autonomist senator from Haute-Corse, seeks the reintroduction of the concept of the Corsican people. Jean-Jacques Panunzi, a senator from Corse-du-Sud, has expressed hostility toward the concept of the Corsican community and has proposed amendments to introduce a specific tax status and to engrave in stone a multi-year investment plan focusing on transport and hydraulic infrastructure.Rassemblement National opposes changes
The group of the Rassemblement National has once again put forward its counter-proposal. The day is expected to be intense for the defenders of a bill that appears to be in significant danger, given the major changes that a significant part of the Senate appears to want to make.
