Will François Legault become a statesman?

The most assiduous observers of political life generally agree on the importance of distinguishing the politician from the statesman.

The politician is this highly courageous individual who proposes a pragmatic program before committing to carrying out the very precise mandate submitted to him by the people. In the years that follow, he tries to fulfill his promises and one day, in glory or in indifference, he withdraws.

The statesman, on the other hand, belongs to a completely different species.

First of all, political mythology counts very few of them since he is a man that entire generations have not succeeded in producing. Each time he appears before his people without announcing himself, we remember that this providential man was to arrive one day, but we no longer expected him.

Beyond mythology, what mainly distinguishes the statesman from the politician is his posture in the face of history. What worries the statesman and what will early transform his face into a landscape of wrinkles is not to free oneself from one’s promises like one free oneself from a grocery list, it is only – since it is already a lot – the heavy task of reconciling the people and their destiny.

The month of November, this year, gives us all the reasons to meditate on the notion of statesman.

Two important dates

A few days ago, we simultaneously celebrated the 45th anniversary of the first PQ election and the 10^e anniversary of the founding of the CAQ. In the first place, it was the occasion to recall to what extent the outcome of this evening of November 15, 1976 had been a surprise, an unexpected event.

On the other hand, the second most important event failed to inspire a very large number of romantics. Although François Legault and René Lévesque both left their political formation before founding another, they needed three elections to gain the confidence of Quebecers and they both benefit today from an impressive capital of sympathy, does the current Prime Minister of Quebec embody, like René Lévesque, the figure of the statesman?

Let us ask ourselves: what exactly is this man, who relies on an exceptional power of action on the scale of history, on the way to accomplish?

Some would say that in a year, the politician that he is will deliver an exceptional roadmap to the population. A very large number of promises from the CAQ will have been

carried out and the health crisis could justify the few shortcomings of its balance sheet. In the style we know him, François Legault chewed on some popular formulas, recalled that with the CAQ, “we are moving forward”, that we “continue forward”. Then, it will undoubtedly win the largest majority of seats since the mid-1980s. The feat is already taking shape.

But what good is it?

What will he do?

It is true that this dynastic scenario would satisfy the most ambitious of politicians, but would the statesman be satisfied with another mandate devoted mainly to the accounting of public affairs, this one very poorly concealed? behind a marketing roar without consequences in front of Ottawa? Faced with demographic issues, the anglicization of Greater Montreal and institutions of higher education, would a statesman be satisfied with strictly defensive nationalism and actuarial management of identity files?

Since the future of French Quebec is at stake, it’s a safe bet that a statesman would be able to rise above the fray and be inspired more by a René Lévesque than a Maurice Duplessis or a Daniel Johnson, fallen on a Hawaiian beach.

When he realizes that time is running out, will François Legault, the politician, become a statesman?

Remi Villemure

Author and master’s student in Montreal history