(Quebec) Originally left out of the panel of speakers, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will finally have the chance to speak at the centenary celebrations of René Lévesque. Earlier Wednesday, the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) was indignant at his exclusion.
Updated yesterday at 9:46 p.m.
Next Monday, a large number of guests are expected to gather at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal to commemorate the founder of the PQ, who is one of the most influential politicians in the history of Quebec.
Political figures were invited to speak during the evening. This is the case of the current Prime Minister François Legault, but also of Lucien Bouchard, who held this position under the PQ banner between 1996 and 2001, and of Jean-François Lisée, leader of the PQ between 2016 and 2018. The Minister of Culture, Nathalie Roy, is also part of the group.
But in the original plans, according to his comments in the scrum, the name of Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon did not appear on the list.
“I find it hard to see how one can celebrate René Lévesque while dismissing the Parti Québécois and dismissing the fact that he devoted his life to the independence of Quebec, and telling people: ‘it’s normal to consult you, then you are able to build a country, ”the PQ leader argued to journalists on Wednesday afternoon.
The sovereignist leader continued his momentum by arguing that several elements of this centenary were “not in conformity with the work, the thought of René Lévesque”, in particular because the subject of independence would be omitted.
“It’s also in tune with the times to want to bury the s-word,” he insisted. We are no longer able to say sovereignty. Current events, however, constantly remind us of the need, even the urgency, of making Quebec a country. »
The spokesperson for the René-Lévesque Foundation, Martin Roy, affirmed at the end of the day that he had obtained the “full” support of Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon for the “Lévesque year”.
With Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press