Reunification of Brittany

The Reunification of Brittany or Breton Reunification is a political movement to reunite the Loire-Atlantique department with the administrative region of Brittany, to form the entire cultural and historical region of Brittany. This "reunification" is considered a prerequisite for further Breton autonomy.
Brittany was an independent kingdom from the ninth century, then became a duchy until the dissolution of the French monarchy.
In 1941, the Vichy government separated the region of Loire-Atlantique from historic Brittany, which today remains a part of the Pays de la Loire administrative region. Loire-Atlantique, including Brittany's ancient Duchy capital of Nantes, was separated from the rest of Brittany partly in retaliation for a large number of Bretons supporting the Free French National Council of Charles de Gaulle and also as an attack on Bretons who supported the independence of Brittany.
The division of Brittany has been disputed by Breton militants, who say it was imposed via non-democratic government without consulting the people of Brittany. They argue that the administrative regions of Loire-Atlantique and Brittany are culturally, historically and geographically united and that Breton unity would bring about economic benefit.
On 30 June 2001, 60 years after the division of historic Brittany, a mass demonstration occurred in Nantes calling to reunite Brittany. After this, the Loire-Atlantique council voted unanimously for reunification but in October the Rennes municipal council opposed this.
On 8 October 2004, the Regional Council of Brittany unanimously voted for a resolution "in favour of the administrative reunification of Brittany". They proposed cooperation with the General Council of Loire-Atlantique in matters of mandatory and optional competencies and for the organisation of a unity referendum.
Former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and mayor of Nantes said it was "in the interest of the people" to merge the Loire-Atlantique with Brittany. His successor as mayor of Nantes, Johanna Rolland, added, "For the future of our territories and the people living in them, let's fight for a merger of Pays de la Loire and Bretagne”. Marc Le Fur, a member of parliament for the UMP party, said that President Hollande was "upholding Vichy [the wartime French state]". "He hasn't listened to his Breton ministers, or the Breton members of parliament, or to local businesses, or to cultural leaders. He is deaf. He won't listen to anyone." The organisation 44=BZH accused the French government of listening only to Loire-Atlantique's political leaders, who they claim are desperate to keep their jobs and are ignoring the views of the people of Brittany.
In 2014, between 13,000 and 30,000 people paraded in support of reunification. In 2016 there was also a parade of between 2,500 and 10,000 people.
In October 2018, 1,500 to 3,000 people paraded in Nantes for the reunification of Brittany, calling for a referendum to reunite Loire-Atlantique with Brittany.
In November 2018, over 100,000 citizens of Loire-Atlantique had signed a petition proposed by Bretagne réunie (Brittany reunited) to reunite Loire-Atlantique with Brittany.
In December 2018, the Departmental Council of Loire-Atlantique voted against modifying the regional boundaries directly, but in favour of a referendum on including Loire-Atlantique in the Brittany region.
In 2021, Nantes town council voted in favour of requesting that the French government organise a referendum on Nantes leaving the Pays-de-la-Loire region to become part of Brittany.
In June 2022, Loire-Atlantique council supported a resolution for a referendum.
In October 2021, the Regional Council of Brittany supported a resolution requesting that the French government “begins, with a view to 2024, the legislative process for consulting the electors of Loire-Atlantique on whether or not they wish to join Brittany”.
In 2022, Aziliz Gouez, leader of the Breizh a-Gleiz group of Breton autonomists, supported the reunification of Brittany, which is seen as a prerequisite for a process of autonomy for Brittany. Her call for Breton autonomy was voted for by all the regional councillors (except for far-right Rassemblement National).
In September 2022, the Regional Council of Brittany voted in favour of an impact assessment on reunification, to be jointly financially supported Loire-Atlantique. The results of the impact assessment are due to be published by March 2023 with hope of a consultation.
In May 2023, a "transpartisan" body was formed in Nantes to "create the conditions for dialogue between communities and the State about the organisation of this citizen consultation", with the hope that a referendum can be held quickly. Twenty-five deputies of the five departments of historical Brittany signed a bill for a consultation with the inhabitants of Loire Atlantique on reunification.
In September 2023, in response to an offer by Emmanuel Macron to work towards greater autonomy for Corsica, Loïg Chesnais-Girard, president of the Brittany regional council, noted the disparity between the proposal and the "system of inefficient centralism from another age".
In 2014, a motion was signed in the UK House of Commons by 10 MPs supporting the reunification of the historic region of Brittany during the French government's reorganisation of France's super regions.
In the same year, a written statement of opinion from politicians of Plaid Cymru in the Senedd also called on the French government to restore the historic boundaries of Brittany.
In 2015, the European Free Alliance reaffirmed its support for the administrative reunification of Brittany with a single assembly.
Those opposed to Breton reunification argue that it could lead to a dispute between the capitals of Rennes and Nantes and that a united Brittany would not be big enough to deal with international economic competition and so propose a larger zone of the "Great West".