(Djerba, Tunisia) Back after a four-year hiatus on 18e Francophonie Summit opens against a backdrop of political tension in Djerba, Tunisia, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to postpone the event to denounce the regime of President Kaïs Saïed.
Other voices had also called for a postponement, including the former secretary general of the Intergovernmental Agency of La Francophonie, which became the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Louis Roy. Calls for a boycott of Canada and Quebec have also been launched in recent weeks.
Prime Minister François Legault is due to land on the Tunisian island of Djerba on Friday. This is his first mission abroad since his re-election in October. The new Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Martine Biron, accompanies him. She is due to speak to the media later on Thursday.
“It’s a success for [le président Saïed]. At least he avoided humiliation,” argued political scientist Sami Aoun. For him, postponing an event like this is always a “dilemma”.
“If you postpone it to punish them or send them a strong message on the issue of human rights, we may risk not helping the process of democratization on the other side”, adds the full professor at the School. in applied politics from the University of Sherbrooke.
It is in this perspective that the Canadian government finally decided to participate in this high mass of La Francophonie. Mr. Trudeau wants to take advantage of his presence on Tunisian soil to emphasize “the importance of protecting democracy and human rights,” it was said.
After letting the several weeks of suspense hover, the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron has also been confirmed. Canada and France are the two main donors of the OIF.
The Press reported last August that Justin Trudeau had quietly campaigned with his French ally to request a further postponement of the Summit, the last edition of which dates back to 2018.
The international event, which is held every two years, was postponed for the first time in 2020 due to the pandemic. It was also decided that the Summit would take place outside the Tunisian capital, on the island of Djerba. But a month before the November 2021 meeting, the members of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie approved a new postponement, citing the pandemic and the political crisis caused by the adopted changes which give more powers to Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed.
Democratically elected in 2019, Mr. Saïed seized all power in July 2021 on the grounds that the country had become ungovernable. Internal disputes divide the Tunisian people.
“Canada and other regulators […] worried about the return of the police state. That again, we see, for example, arbitrary arrests, the banning of Tunisian politicians from traveling, that we harass or intimidate free expression, ”lists Mr. Aoun.
The Francophonie Summit, which is being held from November 19 to 20 under the theme “Connectivity in diversity”, also comes as NATO member countries are on their toes after missile strikes that killed two in Poland . The war in Ukraine will also be in the background of the exchanges as French-speaking partners want to strengthen supply chains.
Quebec has a role to play
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Haroun Bouazzi
For its part, the Legault government has not yet expressed itself on the political situation in Tunisia. For the new member of Québec solidaire, Haroun Bouazzi, who is of Tunisian origin, the Prime Minister cannot “limit himself to legitimizing a power in place” without intervening.
François Legault must take advantage of his presence and his meetings with Tunisian dignitaries to “remind the obligations” of the country. Quebec is also recognized as a state in its own right by the OIF, which brings together 88 states and governments of the Francophonie on the planet.
“I think that’s the most effective way for the government to [de la Tunisie] don’t think he has a blank check to continue his authoritarian excesses,” said the MP for Maurice-Richard. According to him, Quebec can work to strengthen economic cooperation, as is part of the objective of its mission, but “economic issues cannot be an excuse to turn a blind eye”.
François Legault must notably participate in the Francophone Economic Forum which is being held on Sunday, where he will deliver a speech.
The Charter of the Francophonie, to which Tunisia adheres, has the particular objectives of helping “to establish and develop democracy” and “to support the rule of law and human rights”.
Trudeau-Legault meeting?
François Legault’s cabinet has not yet confirmed the holding of bilateral meetings that could be held on the sidelines of the Summit. It is then still unclear whether a meeting between François Legault and Justin Trudeau will take place.
If the scenario of an interview is confirmed, it would be a short meeting, warned the cabinet of Mr. Legault. The two men are to meet by the end of the year to address the priorities of the Legault government, freshly re-elected with a large majority.
A standoff between Quebec and Ottawa is already emerging on the issue of immigration, while the Legault government is demanding more powers, which the Trudeau government has refused for the moment.
Quebec is also united with the other Canadian provinces to demand an increase in federal health transfers. For these two bones of contention, an agreement seems out of reach in the short term.