島嶼地域における自治の問題

The “region”, sub-national entity in Europe, plays some more important roles in a place of Nation-States in a context of European integration. However, “island regions” around European Continent have a risk to be more marginalised by the economic integration advanced by the central regions. The island region in Europe has a special socio-economic backwardness caused by its remoteness from the Continent and this special character is called “insularity”.<br>Political autonomy is, I think, one of the best choices that activate an island region without delete its insularity. Thus European insular regions have a special status that is different from the regions in the Continent, that rules their political autonomy. However, there are many cases that island regions have a heterogeneous historic-cultural fact and a strong identity that could appeal to nationalism or separatism from the mainland country. So that autonomous status of island region in Europe is not homogeneous.<br>Corsica, Mediterranean island region that belongs to France, has not been autonomous for a long time because of its special socio-political situations, Corsican nationalism and “clan”, one of patriarchal formations typically observed in some Mediterranean insular regions.<br>In 1982, by the decentralization policies of socialist President Mitterrand, France was reorganized into 22 more autonomous “regions” from the “prefecture” whose prefect has been nominated by the Ministry of Interior, French administrative. Corsica was ruled by an act as a region with a special status. The Regional Assembly of Corsica consisted of 61 representatives elected by the islanders was created in this year and could vote projects of program on mainly Corsican linguistic and cultural education of a supplemental course in a school, regional transportation and development of new energy. The regional administration of Corsica could exert these programs.<br>However, instability in the Regional Assembly because of lack of a strong core party and frequent elections, shortage of competence or finance of the Region of Corsica caused their dysfunction and discredit from the islanders.<br>And in 1991, Corsican act was revised and Corsica changed a Territorial Collectivity, original local entity, from a region, common local entity. Though this renewal act defined Corsica as a “people”, Constitutional Council judged that this definition would be against the French Constitution that rules French national unity and its equality, and deleted Article 1 that contains this definition.<br>However, Corsica was authorized to be more autonomous with an original competence. In addition to education and broadcasting of regional language and culture, special taxation and some economic development program are ceded to Corsica. And Corsican regional organization also was changed. Regional Assembly was divided into Corsican Territorial Assembly and Corsican Executive Council. The president and 6 members of Executive Council exert Corsican regional administrative and vote projects of budget and cultural and economic programs, and these members are elected from the representatives in the Territorial Assembly by election. Executive Councilors are obliged to make some annual reports on the executive situation and their results in the Assembly and to be credited by it. Thus after 1991, Corsica establishes its collegiality and responsibility for the smooth practice of the larger competence.<br>It is doubtful whether Corsica has a political autonomy by the status reform in 1991. Because there is not any articles on Corsican status in the French Constitution though those of TOMs' status, French Overseas Islands, are in it, and those of Sicilian and Sardinian status are in the Italian Constitution. And Corsican Territorial Assembly can vote only motions, some taxation and programs of local cultural and economic development, but not any