Corsica’s war on the rich: Separatists bomb dozens multimillion-euro properties, warn buyers |
On the French island of Corsica, owning a second home can come with an unusual risk of it being blown up by separatists.Corsica’s decades-old independence movement has increasingly turned its attention to second homes, particularly properties owned by people from mainland France and foreign buyers. Since October 2023, dozens of homes have been bombed or set on fire across the island, including 34 properties in 20 towns during a single overnight spree.The campaign has not stopped buyers from coming. Multimillion-euro homes continue to be built and sold, even as separatists warn outsiders against buying property on what they regard as their land.The National Liberation Front of Corsica, or FLNC, the armed wing of the island’s long-running independence movement, has claimed thousands of attacks since it was formed in 1976. The group has increasingly focused on property as part of its campaign against what it sees as the displacement of local Corsicans.Last month, about 15 masked and armed members of the group appeared at a press conference and issued a blunt warning to tourists and prospective second-home buyers.“Until our national rights are recognised and respected, we have only one message to send them,” a member said. “Stay home.”The threat comes against the backdrop of a sharp rise in second-home ownership on the island. A 2026 report by the Corsican Assembly found that second homes account for about 37% of Corsica’s housing stock, rising to as much as 50% in some coastal towns.Despite the attacks, demand for Corsican property remains strong. Real estate agents continue to receive inquiries from prospective buyers, some concerned about the threats and others apparently undeterred.The property attacks are not new. The FLNC claimed responsibility for an operation in 1991 that targeted more than 80 vacation homes. In 2012, masked gunmen reportedly forced a Parisian financier and six others from a villa before blowing it up.The latest wave has prompted a counterterrorism investigation in France. Ten people have been arrested in connection with the 2023 attacks, while prosecutors have also opened a separate investigation into the separatists’ recent press conference.The campaign has coincided with renewed efforts by Paris to address Corsica’s long-standing demands for greater autonomy.The French Senate is due to vote next month on a constitutional amendment recognising Corsica’s distinct language, culture and history while granting its local government additional powers over areas including zoning and waste management.Political scientist André Fazi of the University of Corsica described the separatists’ campaign as a “tactical success”.But the proposed constitutional changes stop short of giving Corsican authorities control over who can buy property on the island, one of the central demands of hardline separatists.
