1. THE BRITTANY
ISSUE
One of the most European Regions in Europe
Brittany is the name or our land in modern English
The Romans called it Armorica (from the Celtic : land before the sea)
when they conquered us in 56 BC.
It was then a part of the Armorican Federation that
spread between the river Loire and the Seine :
In different languages it is also called : Brittany, Bretaña,
Брэтань, Bretania, Bretanya, Llydaw, Breten Vian,, Bretonio, Bretainia, Bretania, Bretanha,
Breetany, Burtaegne, Breton, 布列塔尼半岛 ), ブルターニュ地域圏 , Βρετάνη …
And Breizh in brezhoneg (the Breton language)
We’re one of the westernmost people in Europe.
2. In that time, the Roman empire had
not reached its highest extension
3. North and West of Italy the people the Romans
had conquered were mostly Celts that spread
as far east as the Black sea.
4. When the Romans left Britain, other
predators prepared to invade the Empire
5.
6. Who created five « kingdoms » that later united
against to fight the Franks but could’nt much
resist the Viking Raids
7. For over 500 years, Brittany remained an
independant Kingdom, Principality, Duchy
8.
9. From 937 to 1532, Brittany was
managed as an independant State
11. Until, following a major defeat in a war with France (1488),
our Duchess ANNA
tried to avoid Brittany’s annexion by marrying Maximilian of
Austria (1490), causing the ire of the French King. The Pope
had to break this union, & Charles VIII married the Princess.
12. Conditions were set in the
Treaty of Union that followed .
• The province would be kept in its
boundaries
• A parliament would remain.
• Taxes were to be approved in the province
• For customs, Brittany remained a zona
franca.
• War and soldier’s drafts had to be
approved
• All trials to take place in Brittany
except appeal.
13. Eventually on Aug, 4th,1789, in the name of a new
Republic, Provinces were abolished – But with a
Nation that was thought to become a Federation
14. Under Napoleon rule, and until WW.2,
France remained
the most centralised country in Europe
It was, and is still, divided
into abt 100 départements
ruled by Prefects.
The provinces, that recalled
the royal administration,
were abolished.
15. Until,in 1941, during WW2, Marshal Pétain,
inspired by the Nazi occupants, planned
new « Provinces »
The reasons were
mainly «logistic» and
aimed to distribute
recruiting and revictualling
in a war economy and
in a centralised state
planning.
These « regions » were
abolished in 1945, but
re-established in 1956
to be used for planning
purposes as:
Régions de Programme
16. Then 3 men shared a vision with us:
De Gaulle, Giscard, Pleven
17. De Gaulle has a social vision of his country : diversity
is a cumulative force – Locally, vertuous
Specific ideas may arise, that
would be copied and challenge
others
But, in 1969, his reform to regionalise France
is rejected by 52.4% in a referendum.
Although not everywhere !
18. Giscard accepts that economy and politics are
also linked to culture. It means that sources of
confidence , and wealth, can be local.
In 1977, he negotiates a
Cultural Charter
with the Breton groups,
founding the
Institute and the
Cultural Council
of Brittany
which is placed in its
historical boundaries
i.e not the Pétain model.
19. RENE PLEVEN
« the menhir», made the C.E.L.I.B
Had been twice a French Premier, this Breton,
also known as one initiator of the NATO,
founded, in 1950, the :
Liaison Committee for Breton Interests,
that defined a regional programme
& enforced it during 30 years:
Decentralisation – Promotion –
Industrialisation- Infrastructures
Lobbying – Agriculture- Tourism
on the whole territory.1901-1993
20. Thirty glorious years,
• A good road and rail network
including fast trains to the east.
• A maritime strength (ferries).
• Heavy industries(cars,shipyards)
• A performing agro-food industry
*
21. But some missing links
•The Breton language, once forbidden in schools, is just tolerated – Speakers,
over a million in 1950, are to-day just 200 000. France has
signed (1999) the European Charter for Regional and Minority languages
but failed to ratify this Treaty.
•The Breton culture, encouraged as long as it brings tourism, remains popular,
but without decent budgets or University openings..
•The Historic territory remains
« Maimed of Nantes »
in a dwarf region
30% our citizens
40% of our economy is
« softly Ulsterised »,
and artificially attached to a fake adminis-
tration called « Loire Country » that fails
to share the understanding of our culture
and promotes an artificial region..
22. Brittany, the only French minority with
a Regional size that is refused a status
• Despite all the gallups, local supports & votes.
• Despite an international regognition of its identity (s.a.Wales, Scotland..)
• Despite numerous demonstrations of 10 000 and more, rising…
• Despite industrial, corporate and business supports.
• Despite the International support of the 90 organisations in the Federal
.Union of European Nationalities(FUEN) and the European
Council.
• Despite a current parlementary debate on the French regional reshuffling
• Despite the E.Union efforts to have harmonised status, competences …
and budgets ,
The French Regions still remain uncompatible
with their European counterparts.
AND THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT & LEADING PARTY
REMAIN BLIND AND DEAF
ON BRITTANY’s FUTURE
23. This is in contradiction with having
signed (1985) and ratified (1997)
the European Charter of Local Self-
Government, as did the 46 other
member states of the CE, that
implies subsidiarity
« The rights of self-government must be exercised by
democratically constituted authorities» art3 §2.
But the community of Brittany was defined by a decree by the non-
democratic Vichy regime and unduely copied by all others that followed.
Whence art.5 says : Protection of local authority boundaries : “ Changes in local
authority boundaries shall not be made without prior consultation of the local
communities concerned, possibly by means of a referendum where this is
permitted by statute.”
