Nationalists in Corsica have gained a majority in elections for a new regional assembly on the French Mediterranean island, reports the New York Times.
The coalition of moderate and hard line nationalists won 56.5 percent of the vote to defeat President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party.
The nationalist parties on Corsica, an island of 320,000 people, have called for greater autonomy from Paris.
The parties rallied around issues such as amnesty for political prisoners, the recognition of Corsican as an official language and protection for locals who want to buy real estate in Corsica.
In the South Pacific , the French territory of New Caledonia is preparing for a referendum on self-rule next year.