04 May 2021

Jedwab: Will Quebec Liberals remain 'party of all Quebecers?'

A desperate Liberal effort to reconnect with francophones risks a disconnect with non-francophones.

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-will-quebec-liberals-remain-party-of-all-quebecers?fbclid=IwAR0ZTEVspy3Wi-GpFBIXedjLa_31HxmALc_eXcrzksh-r-Pgp38uC3nJDbA

Many Quebec Liberals have arrived at the conclusion that the party’s rather significant defeat in the 2018 provincial election was the result of a very deep disconnect with the francophone majority. The discussions and proposals that emerged at a meeting of Quebec Liberal youth this past weekend were marked by a sense of urgency to identify ways to reach out to francophones.

The president of the Quebec Liberal youth wing, Stéphane Stril, stated that “We cannot deny the fact that for many Quebecers we (Liberals) had drifted from a certain way to see Quebec and our relation with the Quebec people.” He went on to say that “Il va falloir qu’on pose des gestes concrets en faveur de la majorité francophone, de qui on est en tant que nation.” There’s a lot of ambiguity there, so it is open to multiple translations, but what seems clear is that the focus is on taking action to appeal to the francophone majority, which is equated with what makes Quebec a nation.

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