Savoy

This article is about the historical region of Savoy. For other uses, see Savoy (disambiguation)

Annexation and opposition

Savoy was annexed by France on March 24, 1860. This followed a plebiscite in which the people were offered the option of joining France or joining the new Italian state; the disallowed options of either joining Switzerland (with which the region had close ties), or of regaining its independence, were the source of some opposition. With a 99.8% vote in favour of joining France, there were also allegations of vote-rigging.

Related Topics:
March 24 - 1860 - Plebiscite - France - Italian - Switzerland - Vote-rigging

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Some opposition to French rule was manifest when, in 1919, France officially (but contrary to the annexation treaty) ended the military neutrality of the parts of the region that had originally been agreed at the Congress of Vienna, and also eliminated the free trade zone - both treaty articles having been broken unofficially in World War I.

Related Topics:
1919 - Congress of Vienna - Free trade zone - World War I

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For reasons such as these, there is currently a peaceful separatist movement in the départements, as well as a faction in favor of greater regional powers.

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The Mouvement Région Savoie (Savoy Regional Movement) was founded in December 1971 as a 'movement' (rather than a traditional political party) in favour or regional autonomy. In the 1996 local elections the Savoie Regional Movement received 19,434 votes.

Related Topics:
Savoy Regional Movement - December - 1971 - 1996

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In the March 1998 regional elections, 1 seat (out of 23) was won by Patrice Abeille, leader of the Ligue Savoisienne (Savoie League, founded 1994) which two years earlier had set up a 'provisional Savoie government'. The League gathered a total of 17,865 votes across the two départements. In the same elections a further 4,849 voted in favor of the Savoie Movement.

Related Topics:
1998 - Patrice Abeille - Savoie League - 1994

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As a result of the regional debate sparked by the political advances, the non-party organisation La Région Savoie, j’y crois ! (I believe in the Savoy Region!), was founded in 1998. The organisation campaigns for the replacement of the Savoie and Haute-Savoie départements with a regional government, separate from the Rhône-Alpes region, with greater devolved powers. According to surveys conducted in 2000, between 41% and 55% of the population are in favor of the proposal. 19% to 23% were in favor of separation from France.

Related Topics:
1998 - Rhône-Alpes - Region - Devolved powers

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