Bastia-Corsica in Paris to seduce parliamentarians

Tuesday, November 15, an island delegation presented its candidacy to the French deputies at the Palais Bourbon. A presentation in a relaxed atmosphere, far from the usual ceremonial of the National Assembly.

There is little doubt that evenings at the National Assembly can sometimes be lively. History, and newspaper columns, have proven this more than once. However, Tuesday evening, the scene, despite everything, was enough to surprise the regulars of the Palais Bourbon.

Two island singers, Petru-Santu Guelfucci and Jean-Charles Papi, a deputy, Jean-Félix Acquaviva, and a senator, Paul Toussaint Parigi, sang a pajjella under the gold of the Republic.

A way of displaying, in a spectacular way, one of the specificities of Bastia-Corsica’s candidacy for the awarding of the European Capital of Culture label. Pierre Savelli, the mayor of Bastia, is not very far. And he confirms: “up our sleeve, we don’t have a trump card. But we have a culture, a very much alive language. And then we have a way of living the Mediterranean, and more broadly Europe, that the other candidates don’t have maybe not. We’ll see. In this race for the label of capital of culture, we don’t worry about what our competitors are doing. We say what we want to say, and we’ll see if that’s enough. to make a difference”.

For this presentation of the candidacy of Bastia-Corsica to the National Assembly, Corsica moved in force. There are the three nationalist deputies and the senator of Haute-Corse, the president of the executive and the president of the Assembly of Corsica, the mayor of Bastia, the president of the University of Corsica… But the candidacy is not only carried by the nationalists. It is the candidacy of the whole island, as evidenced by the presence of Laurent Marcangeli, former mayor of Ajaccio, deputy of Corse-du-Sud, and president of the Horizons group on the benches of the Palais Bourbon.

Island artists are also present in number. For Jean-Charles Papi, “if we all win together, it will be something very important for Corsica at the cultural level. We have been waiting for it for years, everyone is working in this direction, and there are many cultural actors, at the level of art in general, who today deserve to be highlighted.

It gives credibility to the application.

In the Questura room, where the presentation is taking place, it was important that there were not only Islanders, who were already convinced of the value of the process. Then, Jean-Félix Acquaviva and Michel Castellani beat the recall of the parliamentarians. And many responded, such as Caroline Fiat, LFI deputy for Meurthe et Moselle, and vice-president of the National Assembly, or Eric Coquerel, president of the Finance Commission and deputy for Seine-Saint -Denis. no small feat, when you know that Saint-Denis is competing with Bastia in the race for the label capital of culture.

“It’s a great success, rejoiced Michel Castellani. We have never seen the Questura so full. It is for the time being a success of esteem, it gives credibility to the candidacy, but let’s not forget that it does not necessarily imply victory!

If there is anyone in the room who is aware of this reality, it is Pierre Lungheretti, the general commissioner of Bastia-Corsica. It is he who presides, on a daily basis, over the island candidacy, and he knows that lobbying plays an important role, but will not be enough. He multiplies, with his team, the initiatives. The latest, a scientific and cultural council has been set up, in parallel, which brings together many European personalities, internationally recognized in their field. “Festival directors, exhibition curators, philosophers, heads of institutions, who are not Corsican, but Italians, Slovenians, Germans… We wanted to have with us a panel of European personalities who have affinities with Corsica, and which can accompany our candidacy”.

We will still have to wait to find out which city, French or foreign, will be the European Capital of Culture 2028. Next step, February 27, 2023. The Minister of Culture will announce the shortlist of candidate cities that will be selected for take part in the final selection.
It is in December 2023 that we know the name of the winner.