The president of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Renaud Muselier, wants to give this region the name “Sud” (or “Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur”). He has registered this name with the INPI to make it a communication term, but it is not an official name.
The Occitan National Assembly indeed believes that the acronym “PACA” should be avoided as it is unexpressive and hides the historical personality of our region.
For the defenders of this identity: “the name ‘Sud’ is not a better solution because it is also an artificial name without historical or cultural depth. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, we do not define ourselves as the ‘South’ of something else. We feel deeply Provençal, Niçois, and Alpine. We are part of the greater Occitanie.”
The defenders go even further: “We want a regional name that respects our history and cultural personality as Alpines, Niçois, and Provençals,” asserts the ANO (Occitan National Assembly) in a statement at the beginning of this year.
