(Ottawa) The Trudeau government, which had maneuvered behind the scenes in favor of postponing the Francophonie summit in Tunisia, is not yet ready to confirm that it will participate.
Posted at 5:08 p.m.
Updated at 5:28 p.m.
Canada has quietly campaigned in recent months to postpone again the annual high mass of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), which is to be held in November in Tunisia, due to the political situation in that country. ruled with an iron fist by President Kais Saied.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had discussed it privately with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit last June in Germany. France, the main funder of the OIF, however, does not share this opinion, according to our information.
What will the Canadian government do? “We are in reflection and discussion with other members of La Francophonie […] Conversations continue on the issue, ”replied the Canadian leader on the sidelines of an economic announcement in Sorel-Tracy on Tuesday.
“One of the principles [fondamentaux] of La Francophonie is the anchoring of the values of French-speaking countries throughout the world: the principles of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, are at the heart of La Francophonie, just like the beautiful French language that we share,” he also said.
Originally, the Francophonie Summit was to take place in Tunis in 2020, but it was postponed for the first time due to the pandemic. It was also then decided that the meeting would take place outside the capital, i.e. on the Tunisian island of Djerba, in November 2021.
But a month before the meeting, the members of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie (CPF) opted for a second postponement, this time citing the pandemic and the political crisis caused by the changes adopted which give more powers to President Kaïs Saïed.
On the side of the OIF, it was reported at the end of the summer that the verdict had not yet fallen. “We are not in a position to answer you at this stage, because it is the Member States and governments that will decide on the subject”, wrote to The Press a spokeswoman last August.
The Francophonie Summit, if it does take place in Djerba on November 19 and 20, would be held about a month before the legislative elections on December 17, which could take place against a backdrop of tension in Tunisia.
With Joel-Denis Bellavance, The Press