Bernard Drainville has made a successful political comeback.
Alongside François Legault, he delivered a vibrant speech, where he justified it in the name of love for Quebec. Who will doubt it?
He also recalled that at the heart of his political commitment, there is a deep nationalism, which has enabled the people of Quebec to hold on for four centuries.
Bernard Drainville knows the value of being rooted and feels no shame when presented as an identity figure.
In Lévis, he will become the symbolic heir of Jean Garon. In the Council of Ministers, he will play an essential role. He will strengthen the blue wing of the CAQ.
I have great respect for him.
separatist
In fact, Bernard Drainville only failed two tests yesterday.
First, that of sincerity. Then, that of intellectual coherence.
Let’s start with sincerity.
Who believes for a moment that Bernard Drainville would not prefer Quebec to be an independent country rather than a province of Canada? Does he really want us to believe that he is now indifferent to our political status, as if the latter were a constitutional detail? What powers does he think Quebec should do without? God he was skating yesterday, and he was skating badly.
I don’t mind him saying that Quebec can make gains in Canada. But let’s be serious: these are minor gains in a federation that demographically minimizes the weight of Quebec in Canada and the weight of Francophones in Quebec.
Allow me to use the familiarity for a moment, especially since he appreciates the familiarity himself: Bernard, I simply don’t believe you. I don’t even think you want to be believed. And let me reassure you. Nobody believes you. Especially not your federalist colleagues from the CAQ who will be wary of you.
Second failure, that of ideological coherence. Bernard Drainville is too intelligent to ignore that giving up asking the question of Quebec’s political status practically amounts to agreeing to evolve within the framework of the 1982 regime, with its state multiculturalism that it abhors.
When you decide to put an end to the sovereigntist-federalist debate without having achieved independence, this amounts, concretely, to granting victory to the federalists, and therefore, to living in the regime they defend.
After that, we can brandish the banner of nationalism. It’s a way like any other to paint his defeat in blue.
Lying
Bernard Drainville is right to say that Quebeckers do not want to hear about independence. But he also knows that could change when Ottawa breaks our identity laws. I can already imagine him scrapping at the Council of Ministers with his colleagues, explaining to them that the situation has changed.
He will no longer be able to repress his convictions. He will prevail. He is a man of heart and convictions.
Therefore, it is not very important that Bernard Drainville hides his deep convictions today. Political art is no stranger to trickery. And we are faced with a fruitful ruse, carrying a future.
Bernard, don’t worry, the separatists know you from theirs. Your caquisto-federalist colleagues know it too.
Good luck in Quebec.