With this series, the editorial team goes back to the sources of a Quebec model that is struggling in the hope of rekindling its first sparks, those that allowed our nation to distinguish itself from others. Today: the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine.
In Quebec and the world of the 1960s, full of upheavals, it was somewhat by accident that Paul Gérin-Lajoie’s speech became Quebec’s doctrine in international relations.
The story goes that, while on vacation in Florida, Premier Jean Lesage was not informed of the quietly revolutionary content of the speech his minister had given to the consular corps in Montreal on April 12, 1965. Questioned on his return by reporters waiting for him at the airport, Lesage reacted in the heat of the moment by declaring that, yes, Quebec has the right to act on its own on the international scene in its areas of jurisdiction and that, yes, Gérin-Lajoie’s remarks represent the government’s official policy. Had he denied his Deputy Premier, this speech might have remained a weak punch on the table in his relations with the federal government.
From Ottawa, the Liberal Paul Martin Sr. would reject Quebec’s views without trial, professing a unitary vision of Canada’s international personality – a narrow-minded vision, which objectively contradicts real federalism. This attitude would never really change.
It is notable that, although the doctrine bears Mr. Gérin-Lajoie’s name, his speech of April 12 was in fact written essentially by the jurist André Patry, who was committed to developing the capacity of federated entities to play a role in the international sphere. This internationalist was repelled by the idea that the federal state should be reduced to a simple unitary state. A federalist by conviction, he feared that the denial of the international personality of federated entities such as Quebec, whose recognition he considered essential to safeguarding cultural diversity, would lead to the gradual disappearance of federalism—a premonitory position in light of the current rise of authoritarianism. If Quebecers, in this spirit, decide one day to become independent, the doctrine will have played a fundamental role in the defense and evolution of their international policy.
Almost 60 years later, the doctrine still holds, against all odds. And the imperative, stated from the outset, still holds for Quebec to deepen its ties with the Francophonie, which the federal government did not care about. Still perpetuated, although with variable geometry, from government to government.
Today, a reset is needed. Born out of the social upheaval and decolonization of the 1950s and 1960s, politics is in need of a re-establishment in the face of the disorder of the world, in a context where the Pax Americana around which this world has been revolving since the end of the Second World War is breaking down and where global warming poses a threat to the very existence of humanity. It goes without saying that in this digital age, a questioning is required that will be fruitful on the issues of cultural development.
The CAQ government has taken note of this need. Extensive consultations have been launched by Martine Biron, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, which should result in 2025 in the presentation of a new international policy marking the 60th anniversary of the doctrine. May this revisited policy not be limited to the dangerous obsession with all-trade. And correct the blunder of opening a Quebec office in Tel Aviv in the middle of the war in Gaza.
What kind of fuel will the new version be made of? We already know that Quebec wants to increase its workforce in the United States and “redeploy” in the troubled Indo-Pacific region, which is probably in the order of things. Also interesting is the idea of ”regionalizing” Quebec’s presence in Europe.
As Minister of Education, Paul Gérin-Lajoie was at the heart of another revolution, that of the Quebec education system, which went from religious to secular. The conjunction is revealing: the promotion of access to education was essential in Quebec’s international projection. It must remain so, while continuing to be structured around the advancement of the Francophonie on all levels.
This progress involves developing our ties with France, of course, but also with Africa, where the future of French and the world is largely at stake. Quebec’s influence is everywhere on this continent, but atomized. So when will we have a specifically African policy? The next Francophonie summit, which will be held in France in October, will be for Mme Biron the opportunity to deepen his thinking. Expectations are high.