CORSICAN nationalists have won an unprecedented victory in regional elections.

A coalition of moderate and hard-line parties backing greater autonomy for the French island crushed President Emmanuel Macron’s young centrist movement and traditional parties.

Analysts were quick to stress they are not seeking an immediate move for full independence like their colleagues in Scotland or Catalonia.

The coalition won 56.5 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s second-round election, according to figures from the Interior Ministry.

Local media showed nationalists singing Corsican songs and celebrating in the streets after the results were announced. The nationalist coalition, which also won the most votes in the first round a week ago, will have 41 of the 63 seats in the new assembly, which takes office on January 1 after a territorial reform replacing previous assemblies.

Candidates from Mr Macron’s Republic on the Move! party won just six seats.

On the ballot were nationalist issues such as amnesty for political prisoners, the recognition of Corsican as the official language alongside French, and protections for locals who want to buy property on the island the French refer to as the Island of Beauty, which is also rich in history and famed as the birthplace of Napoleon.

The nationalists formed an alliance between the more popular, moderate group led by Gilles Simeoni, who wants devolved power, and a fiery movement led by Jean-Guy Talamoni, who aims to eventually get full autonomy for Corsica, though not immediately.

André Fazi, of the Corsica’s Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, said yesterday that the prospects for full independence remained distant.

Twenty years ago nobody, he admitted, would have thought that 45 per cent of Scots would have voted for independence. But he added: “On the other hand, Scotland’s capacity to become a state is much bigger with its five million people and developed economy.

Mr Fazi added: “Corisca is neither Catalonia or Scotland. which are more likely to take on independence.”

The academic ruled out a Catalan style unilteral independence bid, saying support for such a move was as low as 12 per cent.