As the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), we strongly condemn the French Senate’s rejection of the constitutional reform envisaging autonomy for Corsica. This decision is yet another manifestation of the colonial mindset that continues to prevail in French political circles, an overt disregard for the will of the Corsican people, and the profound gap between official Paris’s statements on the right of peoples to self-determination and its actual policies, said Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG).

Axar.az reports that, in his statement to the media regarding the French Senate’s rejection of the constitutional reform on Corsica’s autonomy, Abbasov emphasized that the events in the French Senate on October 26, 2026, once again exposed the Macron regime’s refusal to accept the Corsican people’s right to determine their political future, preserve their national identity and govern themselves in their homeland.

The Baku Initiative Group described the disregard for more than four years of negotiations, agreements and the will of Corsica’s democratically elected representatives as unacceptable. In particular, the removal from the draft legislation of provisions recognizing the Corsican people’s distinct historical, linguistic and cultural identity, as well as their special attachment to their homeland, demonstrates the extent to which the French political elite is reluctant to recognize the collective identity of the Corsican people.

The statement also criticized France for presenting itself as a champion of democracy and human rights while treating Corsicans’ demands for autonomy as a threat. Portraying the Corsican people’s demand for autonomy as a threat to France’s unity is particularly absurd. Every people has the fundamental right to preserve its language, culture, historical identity and political powers. The real threat lies in the systematic rejection of these legitimate demands and the subordination of peoples’ political will to the interests of the central government.

“The Baku Initiative Group calls on France to respect the Corsican people’s legitimate will, recognize their political, cultural and linguistic rights, honour existing agreements, and demonstrate genuine political will on autonomy. It also urges the international community, human rights organizations and relevant international institutions to respond to the injustice faced by the Corsican people in pursuing their legitimate political demands,” the executive director added.