Yves-François Blanchet: "If there is a referendum in a few years in Quebec, it is possible to win it"

BarcelonaYves-François Blanchet is the leader of the Bloc Quebequès —the party that runs for the Canadian Parliament and is a sister party to the Partit Quebequès, which runs in Quebec— and a few weeks ago he received ARA during his stay in Barcelona.

In October they have elections in Quebec and the Partit Quebequès has good electoral prospects.

— Yes. The outlook is quite good, it will probably be the next government of Quebec, with a majority or minority. With independence we have a lot of work to gain support, because people are worried about the crisis with the United States and international security, and are less inclined to look towards independence. This is not to say we won't come back. We have a very strong base, over 30% support, which tends to increase when the debate starts. In 1995 it rose to 50%. If the federal government had not cheated on expenses and when distributing citizenship to newcomers, perhaps we would have won, by a very small margin, but we would have won.

The Parti Québécois has promised a referendum if it governs.

— Yes, he has promised it during his mandate. To open this process before 2030. Holding a referendum very close to the end of a mandate is a bit risky because its results must be implemented. Therefore, it should be a little earlier, but this falls to the Parti Québécois.

Support for the independence movement is growing among young people. Why?

— For a long time, independence was the natural conclusion of what we have called The Quiet Revolution. We took control of very important tools to control our own economy, or at least much more than before. It was the beginning of a great transformation, which made people who were French-Canadian see themselves as a different nation, with all that this entails. And we became aware of the right to self-determination. The natural and normal conclusion should have been independence, but my generation did not realize it. For young people, it is a black and white image in history books that is no longer taught in our schools. They have their own reasons for independence, to see themselves as Quebecers, because that is what their parents were.

Do you think they could win the referendum considering the increase in support from young people?

— They see the world differently. They are closer to this vision of Quebec as a different place, with green energy and a different way of looking at things, arts, culture, and the nation. They don't see themselves as Canadians, although they are not necessarily separatists. They are not asking for a referendum, but when the question is asked, I think the majority will say: yes, I am Quebecer and I will vote to be just that if I have to choose. The elders will also very probably vote yes, even if they are more subject to fear, which is present now. If there is a referendum in a few years, our chances of winning it are very good.

They also ask for more powers in immigration, right?

— We ask for all competencies. The way we manage immigration should start with demographics. The first answer is independence. But even if Quebec were independent, we would still have this problem about population growth. Immigration is a contribution to a country's economy in terms of labor force, market. It is not true that it is the only solution to demographic problems, nor that it is not part of the solution. It is part of it. But we have the right to ensure that those who come to live in Quebec know where they are going, where they will live, what the law of the territory is, what the values of this nation that welcomes them are. When we receive someone in the territory, we have two responsibilities: to provide them with what they have come to seek, a better quality of life, a sense of security, school for their children, a job, a decent salary; and also the first tool to achieve it, which is the language and knowledge of the place. The long-term viability of a Quebec nation is weakened by the fact that we do not manage to make those who choose Quebec part of the way Quebec sees itself.

Now you were talking about language. What policies do you advocate to prevent the decline in the use of French in Quebec?

— A country, a nation, has the right to ensure the survival and prosperity of its language. Quebec wants to do this. The law creates this environment. We are quite good at coming up with ideas to protect the language. But the federal government acts against us and sends a message saying: you have a choice, you don't have to speak French, not even in Quebec. Or also: to use the people's tax money to go to the Supreme Court against Quebec's laws that promote the French language.

What policies would you recommend to protect Catalan?

— You can make Catalan live like any important language in the world, but it is not an international language like French or Spanish. And this creates a very important challenge. I would not dare to say how it should be done. But I sincerely hope that all languages, like the national language of a nation, can survive. And although a few years ago it was almost impossible to keep up with the speed at which English could impose itself (or in the case of Catalonia, Spanish), today there are tools to ensure that people are offered the same content in Catalan as in English, Spanish, French or Mandarin.

How is the Catalan independence movement viewed? In Catalonia, it is moving away from 50%.

— It's not up to me, I'm being very careful. I talk to all parties. I've eaten with Junqueras and met with Puigdemont several times. I'll just say that division almost killed the separatist movement in Quebec. People severely punish division. At some point you have to accept that you are behind an idea, even if it's not that good for you as a person or for your own ambitions. If Quebecers unite, I'm sure they will choose independence.

And is this also applicable to Catalonia?

— There are some principles that apply everywhere.