Whats Right With Corsica?
While a slim majority of Corsicans are believed to be opposed to full independence for this island in the Mediterranean, a government plan to unite the island’s two departments was narrowly defeated in a vote in 2003. Since Paris dislikes local autonomy, it is possible that the government didn’t try too hard to sell the idea. France gained Corsica from Genoa in 1768 in return for a debt, but even back then some Corsicans were more interested in independence. In order to buy loyalty France offered Corsican nobles the opportunity of taking French titles, and this is essentially how Napoleon became French. Called the ‘Isle of Beauty’ Corsica is sparsely populated, especially in its rugged interior, and is not defaced with walls of concrete silos for tourists along its shores. In principle Corsica is a region like any other except that it is an island 160 km south of the Cte d’Azur, and only nine km north of peaceful Sardinia, which is governed by Italy. In theory Corsica is quite desirabl
