The constitutional text envisaging an "autonomy status" for Corsica "within the Republic" was adopted by a large majority of the Corsican Assembly on Wednesday evening.

13 out of 63 elected representatives voted against the granting of local legislative powers. The six-paragraph text was put to the vote in three parts: the "concept of Corsican society", the possibility of "granting normative powers to the elected representatives of the island", and finally the idea of "submitting this text to the Corsican electorate through a popular consultation".

Paragraph 1 of the adopted first section provides for "the recognition of a status of autonomy within the Republic, taking into account the interests of Corsica (...) in relation to its historical, linguistic and cultural community, which has developed a unique bond with its territory". 

The other two sections were also adopted, and it was decided to forward the text to parliament in this form.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and eight representatives of different tendencies in Corsica had agreed on this text in mid-March.

After the debates and before the votes, Gilles Simeoni, the pro-autonomy president of the Corsican Executive Council, said that this was "an extremely strong and powerful democratic moment".

Gérald Darmanin had called on Gilles Simeoni to "seek a broad consensus within the Regional Assembly, beyond the Corsican autonomist and nationalist family".

Although President Emmenuel Macron considers this phase of the Corsican process to be complete, there are those who believe that when the project adopted by Corsica comes to the national parliament, there will be no unanimity.

The right wing, which has a majority in the Senate, opposes this constitutional reform. A three-fifths majority of deputies and senators is required for this reform to take effect.