Senate approves constitutional reform amendments

The Senate's Commission on Laws approved an updated version of a constitutional reform related to Corsican autonomy, introducing major changes to the original text passed by the National Assembly in June. President Muriel Jourda, a LR senator from Morbihan, introduced the report, which included eight amendments that largely removed provisions on non-regression for social and environmental standards and the principle of equality of citizens.

Amendments aim to limit Corsican autonomy

The proposed changes seek to reinforce the administrative nature of decisions made by the Corsican collectivity when exercising its normative power and to assign judicial oversight to the Council of State alone. This is intended to prevent conflicts between the Corsican collectivity and national legislative and regulatory authorities, with authorizations granted individually by the legislature or government.

Amendment narrowly rejected

The amendment was narrowly rejected, with 21 votes in favor and 20 against, due to the vote of LR senator Jean-Jacques Panunzi from Corse-du-Sud. A majority is required for adoption, and the amendment failed to meet that threshold.

Concerns over rewritten text

Senator Paulu Santu Parigi from Haute-Corse raised concerns about the extensive rewriting of the original text, noting that the rapporteur had revised nearly all paragraphs. This could lead to a continuation of the parliamentary shuttle, where the text may return to the National Assembly for further discussion. However, the core wording on legislative power from the National Assembly was preserved, which is seen as essential for Corsican autonomy.

Amended text adopted by one vote

The amended text was adopted by a single vote, that of Senator Panunzi, and will be discussed in the hemicycle next Monday. President Jourda plans to resubmit her amendments, with all senators having until Friday noon to submit their own. The debate is expected to focus on securing votes, especially among centrists and socialists, whose combined support could balance the influence of the LR group, which lacks a majority in the Senate.

Lobbying efforts continue

Officials such as Gilles Simeoni, the executive council member in charge of autonomy and mayor of Bastia, and Nanette Maupertuis, president of the Corsican Assembly, are continuing their lobbying efforts to rally support. With five days left to convince senators, the debate is anticipated to be challenging, and the outcome may hinge on a narrow margin.