YesCymru forms partnership with Breton home rule campaign

Nation.Cymru staff

Welsh independence campaign YesCymru has formed a partnership with a movement seeking greater powers for Brittany, with the organisations planning to share campaigning experience and ideas.

The agreement with YesBreizh follows a visit to Brittany by YesCymru chair Rob Hughes and staff member Bronwen Morgan earlier this week.

They attended the 37th Breton Book Festival, Gouel al levrioù e Breizh, and met YesBreizh representatives Philippe (Fulup) Corréa, Izold Guegan and Alain Le Cloarac.

The two organisations have different constitutional aims. YesCymru campaigns for Welsh independence, while YesBreizh advocates home rule through a gradual transfer of powers, allowing Brittany to manage more of its own affairs.

YesBreizh describes itself as a citizens’ movement rather than a political party and says it draws inspiration from the Welsh and Scottish models of devolution.

The partnership is intended to strengthen cultural and political links while allowing the movements to exchange ideas about building support for constitutional change.

Mr Hughes said Wales’s experience of establishing and developing its devolved institutions could offer lessons for campaigners in Brittany.

“It’s remarkable to think that we faced a similar battle almost thirty years ago, winning by the narrowest of margins to establish the Welsh Assembly, which has since evolved into the Welsh Parliament,” he said.

“Now, with independence a real possibility in Wales, we can reflect on our successes and draw on our experience to support movements in other countries on their own journeys.”

He also highlighted the linguistic connections encountered during the visit.

“It was a real pleasure to have so many conversations in Welsh with our Breton cousins and friends over the weekend,” he said.

Speaking for YesBreizh, Mr Corréa said the movement hoped to draw on YesCymru’s experience as it developed its campaign.

“Wales’s journey shows that change is possible when people believe in their country’s future and work together to shape it,” he said.

“What made this weekend especially moving was hearing the remarkable similarities between our Breton and Welsh vocabularies.”

The agreement follows YesCymru’s latest independence march in Aberystwyth on September 26, jointly organised with All Under One Banner Cymru.

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth addressed the rally, becoming the first serving First Minister to attend a YesCymru march. Other speakers included Mr Hughes, Elwyn Vaughan MS and Linda Rogers.

The organisations have not set out a timetable or announced specific joint projects under the new agreement.

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