After about 18 months of negotiations on the future status of Corsica, French President Emmanuel Macron, for the first time, acknowledged that "we would all be failing if we left things as they are," thereby advocating for autonomy for the island within the Republic.

In his first address to Corsican MPs in Ajaccio, Macron stated that it was time to "build autonomy for Corsica within the Republic."

The reasons behind President Macron's decision to address Corsican MPs and how Paris plans to address the Corsica issue, you can read in an article by Radio France International Macron Meets Separatists: Paris Ready to Discuss Corsican Autonomy.

President Macron's statement about Corsican autonomy came after about 18 months of discussions between Paris and Ajaccio regarding the island's future status.

This round of negotiations was initiated following a surge in protests and disturbances on the island, sparked by the murder of Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna in prison. He was killed by another inmate, radical Islamist Franck Elong Abé.

Corsica is currently witnessing more arsons and building explosions, often linked to vacation or rental properties. Nationalist Corsican slogans are frequently left on the facades of burned buildings.

Ignoring such protests in Paris was no longer an option.

For decades, French governments had granted Corsica greater autonomy to quell violence on the island, where historically strong nationalist and separatist sentiments existed.

This time, given more arson and explosions, on 5 July 2023, the Corsican Assembly approved a document with a series of demands to Paris, expressing desires for extensive autonomy.

In his address to the Corsican Assembly, Emmanuel Macron did not fully support the Corsican nationalists' demands but promised language changes and measures to combat property market speculation, albeit with cautious wording.

Macron offered Corsican political factions six months to coordinate proposals regarding Corsica's status together with the French government. The president assured that there were "no red lines" in this matter.

Subsequently, the agreed-upon bill must be presented to Congress, which comprises the two houses of the French parliament and must approve or reject the constitutional change.

This stage may prove challenging, as altering the Constitution requires three-fifths of the votes in favour.

Difficulties may also arise during coordination among Corsican factions, where strong disagreements exist between supporters of autonomy and independence.

Corsican politicians from the autonomy camp supported Emmanuel Macron's proposal, which promises them a window of opportunity.

Gilles Simeoni, the head of the Corsican Assembly, noted that President Macron "created the conditions for the second part of the process (discussions with Paris) to begin." However, he emphasised that "there is still much work to be done."

"But what I remember most from the president's words is that he said there are no red lines. In the coming weeks or months, we will be able to have discussions without taboos," said Gilles Simeoni.

On the other hand, the leader of the Core in Fronte party, which advocates Corsican independence, Paul-Félix Benedetti, stated that Macron did not find strong words in his address to the Corsican Assembly.

Vice President of the far-right National Rally (formerly National Front) party, Sébastien Chenu, stated in an interview with Franceinfo that his party members would not vote for amending the Constitution regarding Corsica's status and accused Macron of "dividing national unity."