Corsican autonomy: Senate rejects the constitutional reform, the autonomist camp withdraws from the Beauvau process
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In the night of 26–27 October, the Senate rejected by 181 votes to 134 the constitutional reform for Corsican autonomy. The autonomist camp announces its withdrawal from the Beauvau process.
In this article
The essentials
According to franceinfo, the Senate rejected, in the night of Monday 26 to Tuesday 27 October, the draft constitutional reform that was to grant Corsica special powers. The text was rejected by 181 votes to 134. As we reported yesterday, the Senate committee had already substantially altered the text.
What the Senate changed
On the initiative of the right, the Senate largely rewrote the text: it refused to write the existence of an “island community” into the Constitution and reduced the scope of the Corsican authority’s special powers. The text was then rejected as a whole. According to the article, this result adds together the votes of opponents of any reform and those who rejected the Senate version.
The autonomists’ reactions
Haute-Corse senator Paul Toussaint Parigi (Femu a Corsica) denounced the choice of an “archaic majority” to destroy a balanced political agreement, then left the chamber with autonomist and nationalist members. He announced the “withdrawal” from the Beauvau process. The Parti de la nation corse (PNC) also withdrew its support. Gilles Simeoni, mayor of Bastia, regretted on France 3 Corse a “clear will to bring down” the building of a political solution.
The government’s reaction and what follows
Françoise Gatel, Minister for Regional Planning and Decentralisation, expressed dismay at the outcome of the debates and assured that “the government will keep talking”, resuming contact with Corsican elected officials on Tuesday. A constitutional revision must be voted in identical terms by both chambers, then obtain three-fifths of the votes in Congress. The article considers it very unlikely to succeed before the presidential election and says this rejection pushes that prospect further away.
The context
This Beauvau process was launched in 2022 by Gérald Darmanin, then Interior Minister, at the request of Emmanuel Macron. A compromise had been validated by the Corsican Assembly in 2024, then preserved in a favourable vote by the National Assembly in June 2026.
What we do not know yet
The article consulted does not detail the precise content of the special powers, the vote by political group, or the timetable for what follows.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Les dates d’annonce, des faits et de vérification sont distinctes.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Dans la nuit du 26 au 27 octobre, le Sénat a rejeté par 181 voix contre 134 la réforme constitutionnelle pour l’autonomie de la Corse.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
Françoise Gatel, ministre de l’Aménagement du territoire et de la Décentralisation, s’est désolée de l’issue des débats et a assuré que « le gouvernement continuera à discuter », avec une reprise de contact avec les élus corses dès mardi.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Selon franceinfo, le Sénat a rejeté dans la nuit du lundi 26 au mardi 27 octobre le projet de réforme constitutionnelle qui devait accorder à la Corse des pouvoirs dérogatoires.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
05The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
Françoise Gatel, ministre de l’Aménagement du territoire et de la Décentralisation, s’est désolée de l’issue des débats et a assuré que « le gouvernement continuera à discuter », avec une reprise de contact avec les élus corses dès mardi.Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
06The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Le texte a été repoussé par 181 voix contre 134.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
07Pronominal verbs
se / s’ + verb
Autonomie de la Corse : le Sénat rejette la réforme constitutionnelle, le camp autonomiste se retire du processus de BeauvauKey pointsA pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).
08Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon franceinfo, le Sénat a rejeté dans la nuit du lundi 26 au mardi 27 octobre le projet de réforme constitutionnelle qui devait accorder à la Corse des pouvoirs dérogatoires.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
09The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Selon l’article, ce résultat additionne les voix des opposants à toute réforme et de ceux qui refusaient la version sénatoriale.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
10Delimiting an interval
de … à … / du … au …
Dans la nuit du 26 au 27 octobre, le Sénat a rejeté par 181 voix contre 134 la réforme constitutionnelle pour l’autonomie de la Corse.Key pointsDe…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.
11Dates and their prepositions
le + 日付 / du … au …
Dans la nuit du 26 au 27 octobre, le Sénat a rejeté par 181 voix contre 134 la réforme constitutionnelle pour l’autonomie de la Corse.Key pointsLe 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
franceinfoによると、上院は、26日（月）から27日（火）にかけての夜、コルシカ島に、ほかの地域とは違う権限を認める憲法改正案を、否決しました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Defining a term with とは
noun + とは
島の人たちを「島の共同体」として憲法に書くことは、認めませんでした。Key pointsIt takes up a word, as in “在留資格とは？”, and asks for its meaning. In explanations it is used as “〜とは、…です”. Here the quotation と and the topic は are combined.
03Expressing a possibility
〜可能性がある / 〜かもしれない
記事は、大統領選挙の前に実現する可能性は、とても低く、今回の否決で、さらに遠くなったと書いています。Key pointsThese forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
フランスの上院は、26日から27日にかけての夜、コルシカ島に特別な権限を認める憲法改正案を、賛成134票、反対181票で否決しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
自治を求める側は、話し合いの枠組みから抜けると述べました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Treating a clause like a noun with こと
plain-form sentence + こと + particle
火曜日から、コルシカの議員たちと、また連絡を取るということです。Key points“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.