He had hinted as much a few days ago in the columns of Corsica-Morning. It’s now official. Michel Castellani is a candidate for his own succession in the first constituency of Haute-Corsewith the same substitute: Juliette Ponzevera. The announcement was made solemnly this Saturday June 15, 2024, in Bastiaas part of Nelson Mandela Park.
Elected in 2017 under the Femu a Corsica banner, re-elected in 2022, the candidate enters this express campaign by highlighting his record. “I have nourished in Paris hundreds of interventions, hundreds of admissions, the signing of thousands of amendments for our hospital, multiple times, for our schools, in particular immersive schools, for our companies, our associations “, he emphasizes.
“Migration flows must be controlled”
Work on concrete territorial issues that the autonomist candidate does not detach from fundamentals of Corsican nationalism : “We have addressed the Corsican question in its political dimension, in its historical depth, in all aspects, the cultural, economic, social aspects, of our language, of the fight against speculation, he insists. We are the ones who will workat least I hope, that things move forward through the Beauvau process, through the autonomy solution.”
But the election will not be decided only on a balance sheet. Initially planned for the Old Port, this campaign launch was finally “relocated” to the southern districts. As with the launch of the Ajaccian candidate Romain Colonna, it seems that Femu a Corsica wanted to send a signal to a popular electorate who massively gave their votes to the RN in the European elections on June 9.
Hence this focus on the question of immigration : “We have two imperatives which impose themselves on us. It is humanism, first, and then it is the principle of realism. We must never forget that we are not talking about goods, but about ‘Human being […] That said, I don’t want to deny the problem either. Flows must be controlled, it’s true. The obligations to leave French territory must be applied.”
A spade for Battini, one for Morganti
A balanced speech which does not prevent Michel Castellani from throwing a few barbs at his adversaries – without quoting them. Towards Nicolas Battininationalist candidate close to the identity movement: “We cannot claim to be part of the defense of our people and want to embody what is most reactionary, most centralizing and most anti-Corsican in Paris.” And to Julien MorgantiBastiais municipal opponent whose candidacy is not yet official: “We can’t move across the political spectrum from one election to the next either. Being in a Zuccarellist municipal majority one time and then finding yourself a Macronist the next time.”
A double projection that triggers smiles on the faces of its supporters. Among them, all the elected Femu and “femucompatible” representatives of Greater Bastia. Among them, above all, Gilles Simeoni, the leader of the autonomist majority, who, despite requests from the press, did not wish to break the silence which has been his since the evening of June 9.
