(Ottawa) Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet is going to the Democratic convention in Chicago on Tuesday after being invited.
“It’s a huge privilege to be here,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Mr. Blanchet plans to make new contacts during the “political festival” and also to have other meetings outside the event, which takes place until Thursday.
As Parliament resumes in Ottawa in September, the discussions he attends could serve as “important inspiration.”
“The slowdown of the Republicans, the rise of the Democrats with Kamala Harris will also change a lot how we will do politics this fall in Canada and in Quebec,” anticipates Mr. Blanchet.
He also plans to pay attention to the entire Democratic political organization, mentioning that collaborators of former President Barack Obama have returned to service.
“So the whole way of doing political strategy, of using social networks, the work of mobilization, I am very curious to see how the democrats work, because yes, it can influence the way we do politics in Quebec.”
Mr. Blanchet expects to address energy issues and climate change during his stay. He also sees his presence at the Democratic convention as something that is part of an “approach” he says he has been working on since becoming leader of the Bloc Québécois, namely to “rebuild credibility for the idea of sovereignty.”
“My desire is not to tell Americans whether they should support or not support the idea of Quebec sovereignty. […] “I want the Quebec team to be recognized as a potential partner, ally, responsible and credible,” summarized Mr. Blanchet.
Five years after his arrival as Bloc leader, he believes that “we feel that the Bloc Québécois has credibility with the United States.”
“The reasoning is quite comparable in France, where we are also received at the foreign affairs office, at the Quai d’Orsay, and the proof or indication of that is that they obtained access for me to the Democratic Congress.”
The convention is an opportunity to formalize the candidacies of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for president and vice president.
Outgoing President Joe Biden, who was on hand to deliver a speech Monday night, gave up his re-election bid in July after facing pressure for weeks following his dismal debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden’s appearance at the Democratic convention was expected to be a handover exercise, as the president was expected to sit out the event.
Mme Harris, for her part, is expected to present her vision for the future of the United States. Democrats hope the convention will boost their support, capitalizing on the reinvigorated energy of the party that has unified behind the candidate endorsed by Mr. Biden. Recent polls indicate that Democrats are doing well in key swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Notable guests expected to speak at the convention include former President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
With reporting from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington