Tuesday, Pierre Poilievre was visiting Prime Minister François Legault. Since becoming leader of the Conservative Party of Canada in September 2022, this was their first meeting. In short, not in too much of a hurry when it comes to business in the “Belle Province”…
The persistent rumors of a possible federal election in 2024, however, push him in the back. In search of potential support, the time to be seen in Quebec has therefore come for him.
Knowing that many Quebecers are put off by his abrasive personality, his libertarian ideas and his obsessive demonization of a Justin Trudeau who, in Quebec, still enjoys a certain popularity, is no stranger to his visit either.
His informal meeting in the evening with Éric Duhaime, leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, promises to be completely different. Between the two men – old comrades from the hard right – this is where the real chemistry lies.
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The fact remains that, unlike Eric Duhaime without the slightest seat, Prime Minister Legault, armed with his strong second term, is the real must for Pierre Poilievre.
However, beyond the polite images, the reality is that unless there is a spectacular turnaround, unlike his mentor Stephen Harper, Pierre Poilievre has so far shown himself to be rather indifferent to the dynamics of Quebec politics.
Even more to the positioning of François Legault on secularism, immigration and the decline of French. Pierre Poilievre’s enthusiastic support of the so-called freedom convoy did nothing to bring them closer either.
It’s hard to forget the string of “Fuck Trudeau” and “Fuck Legault” posters posted throughout this long illegal occupation of Ottawa.
All this will not prevent the two men from being smiling and courteous. Politeness, after all, has its rights. Even with a slightly uncomfortable neighbor.
Beyond appearances, this visit still has the merit of highlighting an important element in Quebec politics. Either that, for the moment, Mr. Legault finds himself at the federal level without natural allies.
Without allies
Apart from economic development issues, his recognition of the fragility of French and their exchanges “to you and to you”, Justin Trudeau is at odds with Mr. Legault on many fronts. First on secularism and immigration.
In the last federal election, François Legault’s advice to Quebecers not to vote for Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals also did nothing to tangibly warm the atmosphere.
As for the leader of the NDP, Jagmeet Singh, he actually lives on another political planet than that of the CAQ. And Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet?
He had supported the CAQ since coming to power in 2018. The rise of the Parti Québécois in the polls under Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has, however, just caused the reconciliation of the two “brother” sovereignist parties.
By the Quebec elections of 2026, the PQ now being pointed by Mr. Legault himself as his main opponent, one thing is certain. The PQ will expect the support of the Bloc and its electoral machine to be unfailing.
For François Legault, whose non-sovereign nationalism still appeals to many Francophones, the absence of strong allies at the federal level is not a detail.
This absence risks further weakening Quebec’s balance of power within the federation. Which, since well before the CAQ, it must be said, was already quite weak.