This summer, Quebec is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of René Lévesque, this much respected hero who, on the evening of the defeat of the Yes party in the 1980 referendum, took the brunt by saying to Quebecers with a painful smile, “See you next time, I hope “.
Lucien Bouchard has always carried within him the ambiguity of Quebec. This charismatic, attractive, vindictive and tormented man at times has agreed to preside over the events that will take place this summer in memory of the man whom Quebecers designated with so much affection and respect “Ti-Poil”.
THE GHOST
However, Lucien Bouchard, who has a sense of history, belongs to a generation for whom the liturgy and the rites surrounding politics are sacred. He saw fit to accept a television interview with Patrice Roy of Radio—Canada in which he sharply criticized the Parti Québécois, which earned him an angry response yesterday from Alice Lévesque, aged 93 years, the younger sister of the founder of the PQ.
A few days earlier, present at the inauguration of the statue of Jacques Parizeau erected in front of the National Assembly, he had spoken with restraint of the one with whom he had a relationship that was both passionate and conflicting.
Remember that Jacques Parizeau, as rational as he is exacerbated, converted to the independence cause on a train as he crossed Canada towards Vancouver. Prime Minister during the 1995 referendum, he swallowed his pride by yielding to Lucien Bouchard, this tribune adored by Quebecers, the media front.
René Lévesque, Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, each in their own way, embodied a Quebec that was open, tolerant and cultured all at the same time. Each person embodied a dimension of Quebec society.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as arrogant and scathing as he was, would never have dared to call these three exceptional and imposing men “hot dog eaters” as he did when speaking of Robert Bourassa, yet a federalist like himself, but a politician deeply respectful of his opponents.
THE END OF HEROES
Political heroes are out of fashion. We only have to look at who governs in the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Nationalism explains why Quebec claims its distinct status. What other Canadian province is so driven by a permanent defense of its language and culture? Nationalism must be both assumed and embodied by our leaders.
However, the current values that define society are based on individualism. Everyone believes they are masters of their own destiny and collective values are thus lost. René Lévesque, Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, who raised so much hope among Quebecers, are now a thing of the past.
François Legault the pragmatic less makes you dream than he reassures. By his training, his professional experience and his personality devoid of any romanticism unlike his three predecessors all from the Quiet Revolution, he chose his own weapons to try to break the intransigence of Justin Trudeau.
In the future, brought back to power, will Prime Minister Legault have other cards in his game? Because politics is like a play. Before the end, we can expect a twist.
