The Quebec government has proposed that Caroline St-Hilaire, a CAQ candidate who was defeated in the last election, be the next administrator of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), has learned The duty.
Mme St-Hilaire, who was also mayor of Longueuil and member of the Bloc Québécois, is one of the two candidates submitted to the secretary general of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, indicated a source well informed of the selection process but who preferred not to not be identified as she is not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
According to information obtained by The duty, Mme St-Hilaire is one of the finalists whose candidacy was proposed by the Quebec government. Another candidate, whose name is not known, was proposed by the federal government and its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
Questioned on this file, Tuesday, the Quebec Minister of International Relations, Martine Biron, did not deny that Mme St-Hilaire is the choice of its government.
“I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t have any contact with the general secretary,” she said during a brief exchange with The duty after Question Period in the National Assembly. With Mélanie Joly, we agreed on the confidentiality of all names. »
The position of administrator, who exercises his functions at the headquarters of the OIF in Paris, is accompanied by an annual remuneration of 173,411 euros, or approximately 250,000 dollars. Added to this are bonuses and allowances including 5,100 euros per month, or about 7,500 dollars, for housing.
A meeting of the Permanent Council of the Francophonie, which brings together representatives of the member states and governments of the OIF, including Canada and Quebec, is scheduled for March 21. She could allow M.me Mushikiwabo to confirm his final choice for the position of administrator.
In Barcelona first
M’s nameme St-Hilaire, who was a candidate for the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) in Sherbrooke, had already circulated last fall for a position as Quebec delegate in Barcelona. This hypothesis, revealed by The Journal of Quebechad drawn criticism from the opposition, who saw it as a partisan appointment.
The selection of a new administrator of the OIF, who acts as number two of the institution, became necessary after the decision of Mme Mushikiwabo not renew the mandate of Geoffroi Montpetit. Mr. Montpetit’s candidacy was proposed by the Canadian federal government in February 2021.
Mr. Montpetit succeeded Catherine Cano, who also obtained the position with the support of the federal government and the Quebec government. Mme Cano left office hastily in October 2020, before the end of his mandate, in a climate of “persistent disagreements” with Mme Mushikiwabo who later called his management “chaotic”.
By not renewing the term of Mr. Montpetit, which expired on March 10, Mr.me Mushikiwabo broke with the custom according to which he coordinates with that of the holder of the post of secretary general. The tenure of M.me Mushikiwabo was renewed for a four-year term last fall at the Francophone Summit held in Djerba, Tunisia.
In 2018, Mr.me Mushikiwabo succeeded Michaëlle Jean, who only served a single four-year term following controversies over her management.
The governments of Canada and Quebec had notably obtained new transparency rules following decisions by Ms.me Jean who, in addition to having fitted out his company apartment at the cost of half a million dollars, had notably initiated a project outside the planned budget frameworks.
Mme Mushikiwabo had incurred expenses of $120,000 to move into a rented company apartment after his appointment in 2018.