Quebec elections consecrate the nationalist coalition to energy

Quebecers largely re-elected on Monday the right-wing coalition in energy for 4 years on this French-speaking Canadian province the place the query of immigration and that of Quebec identification have been on the coronary heart of the debates. Greater than 6 million voters have been referred to as to the polls to elect the 125 members of the Nationwide Meeting of Quebec.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), a heterogeneous right-wing nationalist celebration, led by present Prime Minister François Legault, has achieved an actual tidal wave, 4 years after coming to energy. With 41% of the vote and 89 seats, this nationalist formation based in 2011, did higher than in 2018. Behind, the opposite events have been very far behind with in second place the Liberal Occasion of Quebec (PLQ, center-left) which received 22 seats, which is the worst outcome for the celebration that led Quebec practically fifteen years earlier than 2018.

“Make Quebec a pacesetter within the inexperienced economic system”

“Quebecers have despatched a robust message,” enthused François Legault in his late-night speech, which promised “to be the prime minister of all Quebecers” after a really divisive marketing campaign. “It is a historic victory,” he continued earlier than evoking schooling and the economic system as priorities in entrance of his supporters gathered on the purple carpet of a theater in Quebec. “We should proceed to create wealth in Quebec as a result of it provides us the means. We have now an distinctive alternative to make Quebec a pacesetter within the inexperienced economic system”.

4 years in the past, this former multi-millionaire businessman got here to energy by succeeding in his guess to impose a “third manner”. Neither separatist nor federalist, the founding father of the airline Air Transat claims a “enterprise” method to politics and nationalist values.

However the map of the outcomes exhibits a province strongly divided between Montreal, a big multicultural metropolis, and the remainder of the territory. The celebration in energy has just one member on the territory of the Quebec metropolis, bastion of the Liberal Occasion and Quebec solidaire (left). One other spotlight: for the primary time, an Aboriginal MP will sit within the Quebec Nationwide Meeting. Member of the ruling celebration, Kateri Champagne Jourdain rejoiced in entrance of the press to “mark the historical past” of Quebec.

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Fears for Quebec identification and labor scarcity

The query of Quebec identification agitated the marketing campaign with a celebration in energy which multiplied the sensational declarations. After his victory, he recalled that it was essential to “promote French”. “It’s my job as Premier of Quebec.” It will be “a bit suicidal” to simply accept extra newcomers given the decline of French, he stated through the marketing campaign after linking violence and immigration. Its Minister of Immigration, Jean Boulet, went as far as to affirm that “80% of immigrants don’t work, don’t converse French or don’t adhere to the values ​​of Quebec society”.

Phrases that resonated significantly with the province’s growing old inhabitants. For Alain Gravel, 55, the difficulty of immigration is essential, as are financial points in a context of galloping inflation in Canada. “We all know that there are plenty of unlawful immigrants who come. We completely should discover a technique to shut the gaps” between the USA and Canada, he advised AFP after voting.

In 2019, when the CAQ got here to energy: The migratory screw of Quebec causes stupor

With the evident labor scarcity going through the province of practically 8.5 million inhabitants, the difficulty of immigration can be an actual financial problem. Even earlier than the announcement of the ultimate outcomes, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated he was “impatient to proceed working” with François Legault, referring to the “inexperienced economic system” venture, “the combat towards local weather change”, and the difficulty of “labour scarcity”. “I’m delighted to see my pal, Premier @francoislegault obtain one other robust mandate from Quebecers,” tweeted Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, the neighboring province.