The defence of the culture of the Corsican people and the search for peace in the region
Doc. 7486
9 February 1996WRITTEN DECLARATION No. 246
This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it
A number of movements have been created in defence of the language and characteristic features of the Corsican people. The problem resides in the fact that such movements, in seeking to combat alleged French bureaucratic centralisation, have had no hesitation in resorting to terrorism.
With increasing regularity, the French Government is being confronted with difficulties in Corsica and the time has come for the Council of Europe also to examine the various aspects of the political situation which has arisen in Corsica: on the one hand confirmation of the territorial and cultural unity of the French state, and on the other acknowledgment of the Corsican people and of Corsican as an official language and also recognition of a broad autonomy and the setting up of a new education system which will preserve the island's ethnic individuality.
For these reasons, we ask the Council of Europe to consider sending a delegation to Bastia and Paris to assess, through dialogue with the interested parties (political forces, the movements seeking to obtain Corsican autonomy and the French Government) whether social peace is an objective which can be achieved in the near future.
Signed:
Arata, Italy, EPP
Bianchi, Italy, EPP
Caputo, Italy, EPP
Widmann, Italy, EPP
Latronico, Italy, LDR
Parisi, Italy, EPP
Motiu, Romania, -
Szymanski, Poland, SOC
Ruffy, Switzerland, SOC
Vella, Malta, EPP
Asciak, Malta, EPP
Korakas, Greece, UEL
Berti, San Marino, EPP
Staes, Belgium, EPP
Alexander, United Kingdom, EDG
Speroni, Italy, LDR
Scheer, Germany, SOC
_______________
Total = 17
* SOC : Socialist Group
EPP : Group of the European People's Party
EDG : European Democratic Group
LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group
UEL : Group of the Unified European Left