Jum Għawdex: the tale of two islands

As Gozo shortly celebrates Jum Għawdex, we commemorate the moment, on October 28, 1798, when the people of Gozo expelled France’s occupying forces. For a brief and extraordinary period, the island governed itself under the protection of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies – a rare moment of autonomy in its long and often overlooked history.

It is perhaps fitting, then, that Napoleon himself – the man whose troops were forced to leave Gozo – was born on another island that knew the same struggle: Corsica.

The Corsican spirit of independence

A few decades before Napoleon, Corsica had its own revolution. In 1729, a popular uprising began against the Republic of Genoa, culminating in 1755 with the creation of the Corsican Republic under the leadership of Pascal Paoli. His constitution – one of Europe’s first democratic charters – envisioned a modern and self-governing society.

Although short-lived, this republic became a symbol of the island spirit of independence. Its sovereignty ended in 1769, the same year Napoleon was born, when France conquered the island. Yet, Paoli’s legacy of autonomy still resonates in Corsica today.

Shared struggles of peripheral islands

Gozo and Corsica share more than a coincidence of history. Both islands have lived through long periods of hardship faced by islands at the periphery of larger powers – poverty, depopulation, lack of infrastructure and neglect after wars. In Corsica, entire villages were abandoned as families emigrated in search of work. Gozo, too, saw its young people leave to build lives abroad throughout the 20th century.

Today, the challenge has reversed. The threat is no longer abandonment but overexposure. Tourism and construction – once the only paths to survival and prosperity – now risk eroding the very landscapes and traditions that make these islands unique.

In Corsica, this tension has defined political debate for decades. Limiting tourist infrastructure and regulating coastal construction have become central to the island’s autonomist movement. In recent years, the public outcry over illegal villas on protected land has led to demolition campaigns and stricter planning enforcement.

Yet, even with new local government institutions, Corsica continues to face the temptation of economic shortcuts and overdevelopment. Meanwhile, the creation of the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse in 1972, covering over half the island, stands as an example of local governance done right – protecting biodiversity while supporting traditional agriculture, heritage and responsible tourism. Corsica’s experience shows that autonomy alone is not sufficient; it must be paired with strong governance and a shared sense of stewardship.

Language, culture and the soul of a place

In both islands, language remains a powerful emblem of belonging.

In Corsica, u corsu has become a symbol of cultural resilience. After centuries of domination – first by Genoa, then by France – the language nearly vanished from public life. Italian, long used in education and religion, was replaced by French in 1859 and France’s assimilation policies further eroded local culture. But, from the 1970s, a cultural revival took hold. Today, Corsican is taught in schools and increasingly used in the media and public life, reclaiming a central place in the island’s identity.

Across the Mediterranean, islands face the same question: how to promote economic development without losing their soul

In Gozo, the Maltese language – rich in local inflections and rhythm – carries a similar meaning. It is not merely a means of communication but a vessel of memory and belonging. Protecting these intangible elements – language, village festas, crafts and local traditions – is as vital as protecting its heritage. Local identity is not opposed to Maltese identity; it is one of its richest expressions and a deep source of pride for all Gozitans.

A Mediterranean conversation

Gozo can draw from these lessons. The debate about autonomy is not only about how it might be achieved – through island-specific regulations, administrative reform, regional governance or fiscal independence – but why it matters.

For islands, autonomy is not about isolation or rivalry with the centre; it is about proximity to decision-making. It is about ensuring that planning rules, transport, housing, education and cultural policy reflect local realities and needs, rather than national  distant priorities.

Across the Mediterranean – from Corsica to Sardinia, from Crete to Gozo – islands face the same question: how to promote economic development without losing their soul. As a result, autonomy is   a tide rather than a fortress – it ebbs and flows between openness to change and the guardianship of identity.

Jum Għawdex is therefore more than a commemoration of the past. It is an invitation to think about the future – about what kind of development, and what kind of identity, Gozo wants to preserve.

Napoleon once left his island to conquer the world. Gozo, by contrast, may show that true greatness lies in remaining rooted – in knowing who you are and where you belong.

Stéphane Croce is president of the Alliance Française de Malte-Méditerranée.