In a referendum on July 6,2003 , a narrow majority of Corsican voters opposed to the project from the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy that would have suppressed the two dÃ partements of the island and granted more autonomy to the territorial collectivity of Corsica . In a referendum on July 6 , 2003 , a narrow majority of Corsican voters opposed a project from the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin and then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy that would have suppressed the two dÃ partements of the island and granted greater autonomy to the territorial collectivity of Corsica .