(Quebec) Despite accusations of interference, another Solidarity MP, Sol Zanetti, wanted to explicitly give his support to the French candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP) for North America, Oussama Laraichi, Tuesday evening in Quebec City. A support well received by the main interested party who assures that if the extreme right were on the threshold of power in Quebec, he would do what he could to help.
“I don’t want what’s happening in France to happen here with the rise of the extreme right. I think it could have an impact everywhere,” said Sol Zanetti in an interview with The Canadian Press on the sidelines of a meeting held by Oussama Laraichi with supporters.
The elected representative in solidarity with Jean-Lesage does not take offense at the accusations of interference. “You really must not know what foreign interference is to call it foreign interference.” […] “I think it’s justified when the danger is significant, and here I think the danger is significant,” he says, adding that this kind of practice is nevertheless commonplace.
Last week, her colleague, Solidaire MP Ruba Ghazal, wrote on the social network X that she would be at the Mont-Royal metro station to distribute NFP leaflets (which is a coalition of French left-wing parties) “in order to encourage the French people of Quebec to block the path of the extreme right.”
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Last week, Solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal wrote on the social network X that she would be at the Mont-Royal metro station to distribute leaflets from the New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties, “in order to encourage the French of Quebec to block the road to the extreme right.”
An initiative that has provoked accusations of interference from CAQ minister Christopher Skeete, Conservative leader Éric Duhaime and the person who was the National Rally (RN) alternate candidate in North America for the 2024 legislative elections, Aurélien Nambride.
Regarding this support, Québec solidaire (QS) indicates that these are “personal initiatives”, but that it “fully supports them”, because “the extreme right is on the verge of power”. The political party refutes accusations of interference.
“Our friends at QS are worried”
Oussama Laraichi was in Quebec City on Tuesday evening to go door-to-door with a handful of activists, both French and Quebecers. He then gave a speech to a few dozen supporters. Unsurprisingly, he welcomes the support of the Solidarity MPs and does not see any problem with interference.
“Our friends at QS are worried about the situation in France and that’s completely legitimate. If tomorrow in Quebec, there’s a far-right government that’s on the verge of power, I’ll be worried and I’ll do what I can to help the campaign,” the 36-year-old candidate explained to The Canadian Press.
In addition to counting on the support of supportive MPs, Oussama Laraichi also benefited from the help of Solène Tanguay, an activist from the Quebec left-wing party.
When The Canadian Press visited the steps of a Quebec City church on Tuesday evening, it was she who gave instructions to the activists for the door-to-door campaign. Why did you decide to get involved in an election in another country?
“I was looking at what was happening in France with the rise of the RN and it worried me because I see the influence it could have here or even elsewhere,” she explains.
In the first round of the French legislative elections on Sunday, the RN finished first ahead of the NFP and the Ensemble party of President Emmanuel Macron.
For the North America constituency, the second round duel pits Oussama Laraichi against Roland Lescure, who is from the president’s party. The RN came third in this constituency. The second round will take place on July 7.
On June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron took everyone by surprise by announcing the call for early legislative elections, following disappointing results for his party in the European elections against the National Rally.
The French National Assembly has 577 elected members and a party must elect 289 to have an absolute majority.