Trip to India: the charm of Trudeau put to the test

AFP
Justin Trudeau in the company of his wife, Sophie Grégoire

Maxime Huard

Wednesday, 21 February, 2018 20:23

UPDATE
Wednesday, 21 February, 2018 20:25

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Staging criticized, home to lukewarm and stir in the international press; the charm does not operate as usual for Justin Trudeau during his one-week trip in India.

• READ ALSO: Trudeau in India: an economic mission which has “very little substance”

“We were used to see him greeted like a celebrity abroad. This time, it is a missing ingredient,” analyzed the professor of public relations at UQAM, Bernard Motulsky.

Of the BBC in the “the Washington Post” through Al-Jazeera and the major daily newspapers are indians, reporting on the fact that the prime minister of Canada would have been “snobbé” by his indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, have done the tour of the world. Mr. Modi has not welcomed Justin Trudeau at the airport on his arrival, and many saw it as a form of disinterest.

“Justin Trudeau had brought back a form of presence for Canada on the international stage. To see that it falls flat in such an important country like India, there is a disappointment legitimate in the eyes of the public,” observed Mr. Motulsky.

Staging

The very powerful scene that surrounds the journey of the prime minister has also been the subject of criticism. Several stakeholders have lamented the overabundance of visits and family pictures in traditional costumes, like on Sunday at the Taj Mahal or Wednesday at the golden Temple of Amritsar, while a few official meetings are on the program.

“All of this does not seem very profitable politically. This is not Justin Trudeau is the tourist who is there, it is the prime minister of Canada. If there is nothing concrete that has emerged in the trip, we wonder if there is something behind the image,” said a lecturer in politics at the University of Sherbrooke, Emmanuel Choquette.

The expert in political communication, believes that such a staging would have been better received if there was not so much shadow on the table in the balance sheet of Justin Trudeau, as the promise broken on the blue Helmets or the abandonment of the electoral reform, for example.

“When it’s been two years that the content is expected, it is normal that there is criticism of the containing”, he argued.

The mark Trudeau

For a professor in the department of political science, Université Laval, Thierry Giasson, he must not seek to interpret negatively the reception in India to Justin Trudeau.

“These things are negotiated before the arrival of the head of State, it is not improvised at all. A priori, Mr. Trudeau knew who was going to welcome him” and has maintained the visit in full knowledge of the facts, he explained.

According to him, all the media coverage of the movements of the family Trudeau must also be seen in a wider context. Some of the visits are part of the “compulsory figures” of any trip diplomatic, regardless of the leader that are willing.

“And it fits in with the personality of Justin Trudeau. It is very comfortable with the media and it is a huge advantage to his communications team,” said Mr. Giasson.

“Put the record straight at the time”

The prime minister of Canada met with the chief minister of Punjab, Wednesday, to “put the record straight” and to reiterate its support for India “united and strong”. Captain Amarinder Singh accuses a long-time, some ministers sikhs with the canadian government to support the nationalists who want to create an independent State in indian soil.

Mr Singh said he was satisfied with the explanations of Justin Trudeau at the end of their meeting.