On Thursday Corsican radio station Alta Frequenza reported that approximately sixty of the island's officials had already signed up to the Federation of Nationalist, Green and Progressive Elected Representatives (A Federazione di l'eletti naziunalisti, eculugisti è prugressisti), an alliance which will effectively operate at a municipal level and group together councillors and mayors according to the common principles of "humanism, the primacy of public interest, defence of identity and territoriality, and transparency in public affairs."

The idea for the Federation emerged during municipal elections in Corsica in March 2008. The alliance was officially established at a general assembly on October 11. Approximately sixty councillors, out of a total of 250, have pledged their support for the Federation so far.

The Federation has been set up as part of the process of restructuring the Corsican sovereigntist camp. A few weeks ago, Corse Matin reported that the island's pro-independence parties (Corsica nazione indipendente, Rinnovu naziunale, ANC-PSI et Strada diritta) had announced their intention to merge and form a single party, Corsica Libera, in January 2009.

Further information:

• Radio Alta Frequenza: Une soixantaine d'élus nationalistes pour A Federazione di l'eletti
• Blog of the local party Insieme per Bastia
• MónDivers: Els sobiranistes corsos s'uniran en un nou partit, Corsica Libera, el 2009
• DossierPeoples and nations today: Corsica

See the Corsica profile for more information.