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France accepts “Occitania” as final name for Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon region merger

"Occitania" approved as regional official denomination for the first time ever · Name excludes reference to Catalonia

The map of the region, which merges the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions.
The map of the region, which merges the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions.
A landmark decision or a big disappointment depending on one's outlook, "Occitania" has finally been accepted by the Council of State and the French government as the official name of the Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon region merger. This is the first time ever that the French Republic agrees to have a region baptized as "Occitania". A North Catalan request for a mention of the Catalan character of the new region has been rejected.

The name "Occitania" has been made official through the approval of a decree signed by French PM Manuel Valls, minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve and minister of Territorial Planning Jean-Michel Baylet. The decree places the new region's capital in Toulouse. Government approval comes after the Council of State too validated the new denomination.

The name debate has been long within Occitanist milieus. On the one hand, the most positive feature of the name the fact that "Occitania" is finally recognized as a territorial entity, something that French nationalism had striven to deny. The potential for self-identification and visibility that this bears is hardly deniable.

But on the other hand, some voices argue that "Occitania" will from now onwards exclusively refer to that nation's central region, which merely occupies 35% of its territory. Gascony, Limousin, Auvergne and Provence will thus be left outside Occitania's official borders.

Winning option in popular vote

"Occitania" was the winning option (44.9% of votes) in the non-binding referendum that was held before summer in order to choose a new name for the merged region. In a distant second place, "Languedoc-Pyrénées" received 17.8% of the ballots. Turnout stood at a little more than 200,000 people.

The new region is made up of Occitan lands except for Northern Catalonia. In that territory, SEM and Yes To Catalan Country alliances unsuccessfully demanded that the region's Catalan component be taken into account. But the groups' proposal for the name -"Occitania-Catalan Country"- has finally been rejected.