Simeoni Returns to Bastia: A Strategic Move for Corsican Leadership
The rumors had been circulating since late summer in nationalist circles. Now it's official: Gilles Simeoni is abandoning the presidency of the Corsican executive to run for mayor of Bastia in the 2026 municipal elections.
In an interview given Wednesday, December 17 to France 3 Corse ViaStella, the autonomist leader made his decision clear. After ten years at the head of the territorial institution, he's choosing the local, the concrete, the daily life of Bastia residents.
A Calculated Return to Roots
"This stems from a carefully considered choice, shared by those with whom I analyzed the situation," Simeoni explains. This time, he promises, he will be a full-time mayor. Gone are the multiple mandates that characterized his first brief stint at the head of the Mediterranean city.
History repeats itself, with one major difference. On March 30, 2014, leading a diverse coalition mixing right and left, Gilles Simeoni had already wrested Bastia (43.34%) from the clan of his eternal rival Jean Zuccarelli (34.89%). But the Bastia adventure was short-lived: a year later, in December 2015, victory in the territorial elections called him to other horizons.
Pierre Savelli: The Loyal Placeholder
This announcement marks the stepping aside of outgoing mayor Pierre Savelli, a loyal and discreet man who had taken over. Simeoni paid him a rather brief "tribute," specifying that this decision had been made "in agreement with the person concerned." A diplomatic formula that barely masks the realities of nationalist power.
Savelli, a respected figure but without particular charisma, served as a "transitional mayor" for nearly a decade. His stepping aside was programmed from the beginning, everyone knowing that Simeoni would one day return to reclaim his stronghold.
A Bet on the Movement's Future
This return to municipal roots reveals a broader strategy. Facing the challenges awaiting Corsica, between demographic pressure and economic transformations, Simeoni is betting on local anchoring. Bastia, the island's gateway port and second-largest city, constitutes an ideal laboratory for experimenting with autonomist policies.
The gamble is not without risks. Abandoning the executive presidency means leaving the field open to other ambitions within the nationalist movement. But it also means returning to the very essence of political engagement: serving citizens directly, far from institutional grandeur.
For Bastia and its residents, this announced return of Simeoni promises an electrifying municipal campaign. Will the former president be able to convince that after ten years of exercising territorial power, he still has the energy and vision to transform his native city?