Québec solidaire (QS) is a different party from the others. It is rooted in big cities, attracts young people, is popular among this fringe of the upper middle class and educated close to academic and cultural circles. Its internal management is inspired by the practices in vogue in left-wing community circles where hierarchy, paternalism and authority are rejected. He is the only one to have co-spokespersons while all the others have leaders. Ah, yes, incidentally, QS is a sovereignist party.
The sovereignty advocated by QS is a thousand miles from that of the Parti Québécois (PQ), “nationalist and identity-based”, its representatives tell us with a certain disdain. In fact, the sovereignist will of QS often stops where federal power begins. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois repeated several times during the last election campaign that QS was not going to be the party of bickering with the federal government.
On identity issues such as secularism or immigration, QS is often in tune with Ottawa. QS today rejects Bill 21 after having long supported secularism. After much hesitation and a missed meeting, QS was the last Quebec party to reject the candidacy of the new adviser against Islamophobia in Ottawa, Amira Elghawaby. Although the party voted for Bill 96, its position on the defense of the French language is, like the federal Liberals, ambiguous. The current candidate in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, is currently campaigning by promising to strike out several articles.
As we know, the political hero of Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is René Lévesque. But the latter would never have directly sided with Ottawa against the interests of Quebec. In 2018, the “independenceists” of QS however asked Justin Trudeau to oppose the will of the government of the newly elected Coalition avenir Québec to reduce the immigration thresholds. It happened on November 14, the day before a memorable date for any self-respecting sovereigntist: that of the election of the first PQ government on November 15, 1976. timing.
Also, do not look at QS for a defender of Quebec against Quebec bashing. QS espouses the multiculturalist ideology in its almost totality, has embraced the struggles of the identity left and considers that systemic racism exists in Quebec. Like the federal and provincial Liberals. At QS, we like to believe that the mixed success of the last election campaign is due to overambitious or misunderstood environmental proposals and a few communication errors that led to the fateful orange tax.
This is why the last national council at Cégep Ahuntsic was without a stir, while several observers were waiting for scores to be settled. They did not understand the very essence of political training. QS is a sovereignist party, but sympathetic to Ottawa; QS is a party which wants to be loved in the regions, but which takes refuge in the city; QS is a party of renewal, but it is based on its principles and certainties.
Above all, QS is a party that prides itself on wanting to take power, but is very comfortable in its opposition role. So is the New Democratic Party in Ottawa. What lesson to draw from the last national council, then? Yes, QS is certainly not a party like the others. And he’s fine where he is…