I believe that populations obey psychological patterns and stimuli analogous to those of individuals. In this vein, I believe that there is a collective unconscious, that is to say an imaginary common to a set of people in a given society, at a given time.
Posted yesterday at 11:00 a.m.
Let’s look at six factors that I believe are in the collective unconscious that could influence next Monday’s vote. These are subjects which, without consciously preoccupying each individual on a daily basis, nevertheless contribute to our definition as a social group and nation.
1. Demographic changes
The aging of the Quebec population seems inevitable. It has consequences on the will and the capacity of the people to undertake major national struggles and to mobilize on identity issues, and it aggravates the phenomenon of the labor shortage.
Not surprising then that immigration has returned to the forefront of the news. How many newcomers should Quebec welcome, but above all how could we ensure their francization? What type of society do we want them to fit into? This obviously raises the whole question of knowing what the conditions for living together in Quebec should be, that is to say the foundations for the cohabitation of people of various origins on Quebec soil.
2. The consolidation or, on the contrary, the redefinition of the role of the State
In our society, the state plays a role that is both overt and obscure. This is paradoxical. Since the Quiet Revolution, we have collectively granted the Quebec state an extremely important, even preponderant, role in a variety of matters. Whether in health and social services, education, economic development, the environment or land use planning, we Quebecers rely heavily on the state to determine and serve the common good. Have we gone too far? Have we, in passing, sacrificed some individual freedoms or, at the very least, slowed down entrepreneurship and personal initiative? The presence of the Conservative Party of Quebec poses this question with relevance, although it does not manage to give it a truly detailed answer.
3. The decline of French and the decline in the demographic weight of Quebec within Canada
The gradual decline in the demographic weight of Quebec within Canada remains a subject that is little discussed on a daily basis, but it makes up this collective unconscious that I was talking about earlier. It affects not only the political weight of Quebec, but also its ability to assert its identity. In fact, faced with the rapid anglicization of the planet and the Americanization of various societies, the noose is tightening on Quebec and its official and common language. Quebec cannot, miraculously, escape major international linguistic trends. In this regard, Bills 101 and 96 only offer the French language very relative protection. Still, the question of identity, in Quebec, is likely to influence the behavior of voters at the end of the campaign.
4. Relations with federal authorities and the rest of Canada
Relations between the government of Quebec and that of Canada are, at least apparently, excessively tense at the moment. During the last federal election, Prime Minister Legault unsuccessfully invited citizens to vote Conservative. It must be said, in defense of Mr. Legault, that the Trudeau government is showing disturbing tendencies towards interventionism in areas of provincial jurisdiction.
In addition, relations between Quebec and what is known as the “Rest of Canada” (ROC) are increasingly marked by the denigration of Quebec (Quebec Bashing), misunderstanding of its specificity and specific needs that result from it, as well as intolerance in the face of its collective choices (as is the case for secularism).
Quebecers, on the whole, feel, perhaps unconsciously, the need to send a message to the federal authorities and to the ROC, wanting their national particularism to be respected throughout Canada.
5. Management of the economy
Managing the economy, especially in times of pandemic, requires a strong sense of responsibility and moderation. But managing the economy also requires vision. However, the tax cuts promised by several political parties bear witness to a lack of vision. Admittedly enticing for the electorate, they nevertheless constitute a risk in the long term, because no one knows whether or not there will be a recession and how far inflation will go! Finally, the aging of the population risks accelerating the slowdown of the economy.
The wise voter will therefore be the one who will be able to detect, beyond the promises of tax cuts and all-out taxes, the rigor of the various parties on the economic level, their prudence and the reliability of their commitments.
6. The environment
When it comes to the environment, utopia is not a viable solution. There is probably a point of balance to be found between economy and ecology. However, it is necessary and urgent to act. The environment is increasingly becoming a key issue, contributing to national security. Voters know and feel this and make it a central, if sometimes unconscious, consideration of their voting behavior.
The psyche of the Quebec people, like that of an individual, stems from manifestations with diverse origins and foundations. It sends signals that seem contradictory a priori, but which can nevertheless be explained in a global perspective. In my opinion, the specific psyche of the Quebec population will ensure that voters will react, on October 3, based on the six factors I mentioned above.