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After the 'red cap demonstration', voices rise for Brittany's ability to decide

15,000 to 30,000 march in Quimper in defense of Breton economy · Breton parties, Chamber of Agriculture ask for steps towards autonomy · Paris offers "agreement on the future", prepares fund for food industry

Having been called to demonstrate for the right to "live, work and decide in Brittany", 15,000 to 30,000 people marched on Saturday through the streets of Quimper (left image, picture by Mathilde Dupeyron) demanding political decisions in defense of Breton workers and firms, and for the suppression of a green tax which is meant to be applied to trucks, which demonstrators fear that will destroy even more jobs. Protesters marched wearing red hats (in memory of a Breton insurrection against the French government in 1675) and waving a large number of Breton flags.

In an article on 7Seizh, Breton political analyst Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez says "three" main "messages" can be perceived from the mobilisation. One, that the opposition to the green tax "has mobilized economic actors". Two, the unity "of employees and employers" in a shared dissatisfaction with the current economic crisis that Brittany is facing. And three, discomfort with the fact that brittany has far less autonomy than other sub-state entities in Europe, not only in comparison with Catalonia or Scotland, but also with Corsica, a territory which also lays within the French Republic.

Voices in favor of increasing the ability to make decisions in Brittany

Before, during and after the demonstration, various social groups and political parties have argued the need for the Breton people to have a margin of autonomy to make decisions regarding their everyday government affairs. This is the opinion of Christian Troadec, spokesman for the committee that had called for the demonstration and leader of the Movement Brittany Progress. In an interview to Le Nouvel Observateur, Troadec has said that Paris should pass an economic exception system in Brittany, as it already exists is Corsica, due to the territory's geographical features. He has also noted that Brittany needs a new "institutional framework " since "the region does not really exist, without any power or [...] financial autonomy". According to Troadec, the "German Länder" could be a formula to consider.

In a less explicit way than Troadec, Regional Chamber of Agriculture of Brittany Chairman Jacques Jaouen has argued that brittany should have a "right to experiment". This means that Brittany should be allowed to make certain decisions locally, without the need to be the same ones that are taken in the whole of France. This, according to Jaouen, would help Brittany in "having the ability to adapt" to the international context.

The Breton Party has gone well beyond and has argued that, after the demonstration of Quimper, "an alternative project for Brittany" must be built. This project should include a broad autonomy through a Breton Parliament which should be responsible for the areas of education, health, culture, economy, agriculture, fishing and taxation. "Brittany's real problems come from France and its administrative organization", the sovereignist party has said.

The Breton Democratic Union (UDB) has underlined that "social and regionalist demands converge towards original answers to the crisis". These answers should include "regional autonomy to decide here our future".

An answer from Paris to negotiate an "agreement for the future"

After the landmark demonstration, the French government said it had "heard" the message voiced by the protesters. The Prefect of Brittany, Patrick Strzoda, said that "all economic and social actors" from Brittany are invited to a meeting in Rennes on Wednesday. The meeting is the first concrete outcome of the proposal that the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault voiced on Saturday , when those Breton stakeholders were invited to participate in a so-called "agreement for the future of Brittany". The proposal had in fact already been announced last month, and includes a fund of 15 million euros for the food industry, one of the most important sectors of Brittanny's economy.

Troadec has confirmed that he will be attending the meeting, but warned that "concrete and immediate measures " must be taken. Among those, he quoted the abolition of the green tax in Brittany and the ban for companies having economic benefits to fire their employees.