(Djerba, Tunisia) Justin Trudeau and François Legault, who held their first meeting on Saturday since the latter’s re-election, will have a very different agenda: Mr. Legault will meet with President Saïed, whose regime is controversial, while Mr. Trudeau will pass.
The two prime ministers were able to exchange about twenty minutes on the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit on Saturday. On the menu: Quebec law 96 on the protection of French, particularly the decline of French in Montreal, and federal health transfers, two subjects where the two men are not quite on the same wavelength.
The content of the exchanges has not yet been revealed, the media not having access to the main site of the event. Moreover, the Summit is held under high police surveillance. Quebec and Ottawa are scheduled to meet separately with the press later Saturday. François Legault has meanwhile published a tweet at the end of the interview. A second meeting is scheduled for December.
After campaigning with France to postpone this high mass of La Francophonie again, the Canadian Prime Minister finally arrived on the Tunisian island of Djerba on Saturday.
At the opening of the international event, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed went there with a spade to the countries which wanted to move the Summit, the last edition of which dates back to 2018.
“As everyone knows, there was talk of difficult times, for multiple reasons, to organize this remote summit, by videoconference”, indicated President Saïed before adding: “See even, for some, to cancel it to organize it elsewhere, but our unshakeable will, with the support of our friends, ended up winning,” continued Mr. Saïed in front of an audience of dignitaries.
The Francophonie Summit, which is held every two years, was postponed first to 2020 due to the pandemic, then to 2021 due to the political crisis caused by Mr. Saïed’s gesture to seize all legislative powers on the grounds that the country was ungovernable. It was also decided to hold the Summit outside the capital.
The Press had revealed that Mr. Trudeau had pleaded for another postponement in 2022 because of the political situation which remains worrying according to Ottawa. The Legault government also hesitated to participate, but said it wanted to “give democracy a chance”.
Democratic elections are held in Tunisia on December 17.
Justin Trudeau also plans to raise the issue of human rights and the protection of democracy with the Tunisian government, but there is no bilateral meeting planned with President Saïed, it was indicated.
According to a source close to the federal government, Ottawa wants to “maintain its relations” with Tunisia, but does not want to “strengthen” or “give an important showcase” to the regime of Mr. Saïed a few weeks before the elections in the country.
Justin Trudeau, on the other hand, will participate in the plenary sessions where the Tunisian president will also be present. Exchanges on the sidelines of these activities could occur, it was specified.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau
Conversely, François Legault will meet him with the Tunisian leader at the end of the day on Saturday. The Prime Minister said Friday that this meeting was at the request of Mr. Saïed, as the host country of the Summit.
Mr. Legault explained that there is no “common strategy” with Ottawa on this issue, while Quebec has the title of “full member government” of La Francophonie.
“We’re not going to get involved [de la politique tunisienne]but we will still mention that democracy and human rights are important to us, ”said Mr. Legault.
François Legault must take stock with the media at the end of the day. On the federal side, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, will speak to the press.
Trudeau-Legault meeting
The Summit gave Justin Trudeau and François Legault the opportunity to hold their first bilateral meeting since the Legault government was returned to power with a strong majority. A showdown is already taking shape between Quebec and Ottawa on immigration and on the issue of federal health transfers. Quebec is demanding more powers in immigration, which Ottawa refuses.
François Legault said Friday that he also intended to set the record straight, especially with Mr. Trudeau, about his reform of the 101 (Law 96) and his immigration policies. Mr. Legault believes that “media abroad” have “misinterpreted” his aims.
“I want Mr. Trudeau to understand that with 48% of Francophones on the Island of Montreal, the situation is worrying. We will have to work together, ”said Mr. Legault on Friday, referring to the latest findings from the Office québécois de la langue française.
The Prime Minister again wants to plead the importance of increasing federal health transfers, a unanimous request from the Canadian provinces. The provinces want federal health transfers to increase from 22% to 35%.
Ottawa said it was open last week, but wants to attach conditions, which Quebec rejects.
Mr. Legault participates Saturday in a series of activities of the Francophonie Summit, access to which is closed to the media. He is due to speak during a closed plenary session on the theme “Digital technology, a priority tool for the Francophonie” and meet the president of the Swiss Conference, Ignazio Cassis.
Exchanges are continuing for the holding of a bilateral meeting between Mr. Legault and President Emmanuel Macron.