Tuesday, January 23, 2007

De Gaulle She Aint

Appeared on the radio show Montreal Today a few minutes ago to give my reaction to French Socialist presidential hopeful Ségolène Royal's comment on Quebec sovereignty.

In case you missed it, Royal told reporters yesterday,"It goes with our common values, which are Quebec's sovereignty and freedom. I think that Quebec's influence and its place in the hearts of the French people support that."

Clearly it's inappropriate for a foreign leader to make any kind of comments on the domestic politics of another country -- imagine if President George Bush voiced support for Alberta separation.

However, Royal's statement hardly rates up there with Charles de Gaulle's infamous "Vive Quebec Libre" speech.

For one thing, de Gaulle was a larger than life figure; who the heck is Ségolène Royal? De Gaulle was actually president of France at the time; Royal is just an opposition politician. And de Gaulle's comment was a lot more strident.

Yet, the Quebec nationalists are all excited about this "endorsement", which I believe reflects their political weakness -- I mean who cares what an obscure politician says?

Besides if Quebec separatists really want to be successful they should stop seeking advice from socialists, who seem to be making a mess out of their own country.

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