Whisper
October 18th, 2008, 04:30 PM
QUEBEC — Former Parti Québécois premier Jacques Parizeau slammed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's endorsement of Canadian unity Saturday, calling his comments “an outrageous remark” and a clear expression of “anti-Quebec sovereignty.”
Mr. Parizeau said he was astonished to hear the French President turn his back on Quebec's sovereignty movement and its quest for political independence.
On Friday Mr. Sarkozy said in a news conference that he had always been a friend of Canada.
“It's something constant in my political life. ... If someone tries to tell me that the world today needs an additional division, then they don't have the same read of the world as me,” Mr. Sarkozy said on Friday.
“I don't know why a fraternal love of Quebec would have to be nourished through defiance toward Canada.”
Mr. Parizeau said he doesn't share Mr. Sarkozy's vision of the world, pointing to the emergence of numerous sovereign states in recent years, such as those from the former Soviet Union, as a sign of the growing need for people to obtain their political independence.
“What this implies is that it is a judgment that is very anti-Quebec sovereignty that says: ‘We do not agree with Quebec sovereignty, we do not want additional divisions. We accept divisions everywhere in the world but not that one.'”
Mr. Parizeau said he doesn't remember hearing a head of state take such a firm stand against Quebec sovereignty. He said that not even former U.S. President Bill Clinton went as far as to express such a negative opinion during the 1995 referendum on sovereignty when he openly supported Canadian national unity.
“It isn't because a head of state says an outrageous remark that it should change our relations with the French people,” Mr. Parizeau added.
Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois chose her own interpretation of Mr. Sarkozy's visit. She heard the French head of state pledging to pursue a “relationship between equals” between Quebec and France during his speech in the Quebec National Assembly.
Ms. Marois suggested that when Mr. Sarkozy spoke of the world not needing more divisions during an earlier press conference, he may have actually been talking about the financial crisis dividing the world.
“But certainly if Mr. Sarkozy was referring to sovereignty as a divisive project, that's not the case,” Ms. Marois said.
“If he was referring to sovereignty, perhaps he doesn't understand the Quebec people's sovereignty project which is, on the contrary, very inclusive. It's a project of openness toward the world, it is a modern project.”
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe's interpretation of the speech as also in stark contrast to the view defended by Mr. Parizeau. Mr. Duceppe insisted that as long as the French government deals with Quebec “as an equal” then sovereignty itself becomes an issue for Quebeckers to decide.
“Quebeckers will decide their own future. Mr. Sarkozy, who is a strong supporter of democracy, will have recognize that the day when we decide to become a country under democratic conditions, he will respect that decision,” Mr. Duceppe said.
But for others there was no doubt that the French President had taken his distance with the Quebec sovereignty movement and was calling on Quebeckers to move on and look to the future.
Quebec's Liberal Minister of International Affairs Monique Gagnon-Tremblay said Mr. Sarkozy's comments was another indication that Quebec had entered a new era and that sovereigntists should put to rest their idea of wanting to create an independent country.
“All this talk about sovereignty is a thing of the past. We to look at the future differently and in this context of difficult economic times our future belongs to us,” Ms. Gagnon-Tremblay said in a Radio-Canada interview.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Quebec lieutenant Lawrence Cannon also believes that the message from Mr. Sarkozy reinforced the notion that Quebec sovereignty was a battle of days gone by and that everyone should applaud the French President's vision of Canada.
“It appeared to me very clear that the French President said it was better to stand shoulder to shoulder than to stand apart. And I think that is the message he delivered in these times of economic instability,” Mr. Cannon said.
Mr. Sarkozy cut short his visit to the Francophonie summit taking place in Quebec City over the weekend to fly this afternoon to Camp David to meet with U.S. President George W Bush. Mr. Sarkozy is seeking Mr. Bush's support for an international conference on the global financial crisis. Mr. Sarkozy is proposing that leaders of emerging economies such as China and Brazil be invited to join members of the G-8 to examine ways to “reform capitalism” and avoid the deepening of the world financial crisis.
Before Mr. Sarkozy's departure, the French and Canadian government signed a joint communiqué calling for a international summit to be held as soon as possible.
Mr. Parizeau said he was astonished to hear the French President turn his back on Quebec's sovereignty movement and its quest for political independence.
On Friday Mr. Sarkozy said in a news conference that he had always been a friend of Canada.
“It's something constant in my political life. ... If someone tries to tell me that the world today needs an additional division, then they don't have the same read of the world as me,” Mr. Sarkozy said on Friday.
“I don't know why a fraternal love of Quebec would have to be nourished through defiance toward Canada.”
Mr. Parizeau said he doesn't share Mr. Sarkozy's vision of the world, pointing to the emergence of numerous sovereign states in recent years, such as those from the former Soviet Union, as a sign of the growing need for people to obtain their political independence.
“What this implies is that it is a judgment that is very anti-Quebec sovereignty that says: ‘We do not agree with Quebec sovereignty, we do not want additional divisions. We accept divisions everywhere in the world but not that one.'”
Mr. Parizeau said he doesn't remember hearing a head of state take such a firm stand against Quebec sovereignty. He said that not even former U.S. President Bill Clinton went as far as to express such a negative opinion during the 1995 referendum on sovereignty when he openly supported Canadian national unity.
“It isn't because a head of state says an outrageous remark that it should change our relations with the French people,” Mr. Parizeau added.
Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois chose her own interpretation of Mr. Sarkozy's visit. She heard the French head of state pledging to pursue a “relationship between equals” between Quebec and France during his speech in the Quebec National Assembly.
Ms. Marois suggested that when Mr. Sarkozy spoke of the world not needing more divisions during an earlier press conference, he may have actually been talking about the financial crisis dividing the world.
“But certainly if Mr. Sarkozy was referring to sovereignty as a divisive project, that's not the case,” Ms. Marois said.
“If he was referring to sovereignty, perhaps he doesn't understand the Quebec people's sovereignty project which is, on the contrary, very inclusive. It's a project of openness toward the world, it is a modern project.”
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe's interpretation of the speech as also in stark contrast to the view defended by Mr. Parizeau. Mr. Duceppe insisted that as long as the French government deals with Quebec “as an equal” then sovereignty itself becomes an issue for Quebeckers to decide.
“Quebeckers will decide their own future. Mr. Sarkozy, who is a strong supporter of democracy, will have recognize that the day when we decide to become a country under democratic conditions, he will respect that decision,” Mr. Duceppe said.
But for others there was no doubt that the French President had taken his distance with the Quebec sovereignty movement and was calling on Quebeckers to move on and look to the future.
Quebec's Liberal Minister of International Affairs Monique Gagnon-Tremblay said Mr. Sarkozy's comments was another indication that Quebec had entered a new era and that sovereigntists should put to rest their idea of wanting to create an independent country.
“All this talk about sovereignty is a thing of the past. We to look at the future differently and in this context of difficult economic times our future belongs to us,” Ms. Gagnon-Tremblay said in a Radio-Canada interview.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Quebec lieutenant Lawrence Cannon also believes that the message from Mr. Sarkozy reinforced the notion that Quebec sovereignty was a battle of days gone by and that everyone should applaud the French President's vision of Canada.
“It appeared to me very clear that the French President said it was better to stand shoulder to shoulder than to stand apart. And I think that is the message he delivered in these times of economic instability,” Mr. Cannon said.
Mr. Sarkozy cut short his visit to the Francophonie summit taking place in Quebec City over the weekend to fly this afternoon to Camp David to meet with U.S. President George W Bush. Mr. Sarkozy is seeking Mr. Bush's support for an international conference on the global financial crisis. Mr. Sarkozy is proposing that leaders of emerging economies such as China and Brazil be invited to join members of the G-8 to examine ways to “reform capitalism” and avoid the deepening of the world financial crisis.
Before Mr. Sarkozy's departure, the French and Canadian government signed a joint communiqué calling for a international summit to be held as soon as possible.