Some 15,000 people, according to the organizers, marched on Saturday in Loire Atlantique's capital city Nantes asking for the reunification of Brittany. Groups calling to demonstrate included Bretagne Réunie, 44=Breizh and several Breton political parties, who sharply disagree with a proposal by French President François Hollande to reorganize France's territorial map. According to Hollande's plan, the department of Loire-Atlantique (which is part of historical Brittany) is to remain a part of the region of Pays de la Loire, despite many voices calling for reunification with Brittany.

Loire-Atlantique was excluded from Brittany under France's Vichy government in 1941.

Hollande unveiled his proposed reorganization of the territorial map of the French Republic under the logic that none of the current regions will be dismantled. The only planned changes are therefore mergers between two or three already existing regions.

But the Breton political movement quotes several polls in recent years to argue that most of the Loire-Atlantique population wants reunification. In any case, protesters want a referendum to be held, in which citizens of Loire Atlantique can decide if they want to join Brittany or remain as a part of Pays de la Loire. Significantly enough, the demonstration was headed by the slogan "We have the right to decide."

An open door to reunification in the Senate?

Breton reunification could still have an open door in the French Senate, according to Ouest-France. The Socialist group (which holds a majority in the Senate) approved an amendment on Thursday 26th which, if eventually incorporated into the the law of the territorial reform, would allow individual departments to switch region in the 2016-2020 period. Loire-Atlantique could thus be able to decide to leave Pays de la Loire and join Brittany instead.

The Socialist-proposed amendment will be put into vote in the Senate. If passed, the amended law would later be examined by the French National Assembly.

(Image: head of the demonstration / picture by 7seizh.info.)