The use of Corsican in the debates at the Assembly of Corsica is prohibited because contrary to the Constitution, declared the administrative court of Bastia in a judgment annulling the deliberations of this assembly and the Executive Council of Corsica which had validated the use of this language.
According to the court's decision rendered on Thursday and consulted on Friday by AFP, "
article 2 of the Constitution of October 4, 1958
" provides "
that the use of French is binding on legal persons governed by public law and persons governed by private sector in the exercise of a public service mission
".
“Unthinkable situation”
The court rules as well as "
article 16 of the internal regulations of the executive council of Corsica, as well as article 1 of the internal regulations of the Assembly of Corsica
", by providing "
that Corsican is among the languages of the debates
" , "
disregard the provisions of Article 2 of the Constitution
".
The court thus validates the appeals filed on June 15, 2022 and January 27, 2023 by the prefect of Corsica to request the cancellation of the deliberations having validated the internal regulations of the two regional bodies.
In addition to the language, the prefect of Corsica argued that the fact that these internal regulations “
consecrate the existence of the Corsican people
” also disregarded the Constitution.
"
This decision amounts to depriving the elected representatives of Corsica of the right to speak their language during debates within the Assembly of Corsica, the Executive Council of Corsica and acts of public life", regretted Friday
in a joint press release the autonomist president of the executive council, Gilles Simeoni, and the autonomist president of the Assembly of Corsica, Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis.
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"
Accepting this situation is unthinkable for us
," they add, adding that they have appealed against this judgment.
"
This court decision and its motivation only confirm the absolute necessity of a constitutional revision, in particular to guarantee the Corsican language the status of co-officiality, an essential condition for its survival and its development", they add
.
The independence party Core in Fronte denounced this court decision on Twitter, describing it, in Corsican language, as "
shameful
".
The court's decision "
resonates for us like an insult
", also reacted on Twitter Jean-Christophe Angelini, head of the Corsican Nation party (autonomist, opposition).
“
It is an injustice and a disgrace.
We do not understand
, ”he added in Corsica.