Yesterday, the freedom

Réjean Parent

Saturday 22 jul 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Saturday 22 jul 2017 00:00

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When president Charles de Gaulle declared “Vive le Québec libre” on the balcony of the Montreal city hall, he addressed a jubilant crowd that had already begun its desire for emancipation.

No matter what people say the historians, and action was improvised or planned, the general would not have sown so much excitement and hope he had not before him the audience receptive, which carburait the desire for freedom.

A quest in diffuse

The excitement of 60 years after the era of Duplessis, qualified by some of great darkness, demonstrating a nationalism to the insatiable appetite of liberation from the constraints of the past. The “Master in us” to Jean Lesage and the “Equality or independence” of Daniel Johnson were concise formulas launched by these ex-prime ministers to synthesize all of the aspirations for freedom and the desire of Quebec to fulfil its destiny.

This issue, however, was diverse, touching a wide range of domains and does not reflect essentially for all by the quest to have its own country.

The democratisation of the education system began in the wake of the Parent Report, the government announced a fundamental change towards greater autonomy of all citizens. The progressive fracture with the dictates of the Church added to this desire to be rid of the constraints that constrained the existence.

The nationalization of electricity, the creation of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the design of a public pension plan quebec reflected a willingness to take in hand our affairs, and auguraient du Québec inc. of Jacques Parizeau.

The introduction of the hospital insurance plan at the beginning of the 60’s, a precursor to the health insurance plan, added to these new spaces of freedom, by bringing the citizens of a debt related to health.

All these measures and many others will contribute to strengthening the solidarity and social cohesion while increasing the ability of Quebeckers to take their lives to the fullest.

A lost country

It is in this cauldron of transformation that the venerable general released his cry qualified later, by René Lévesque, a “francité” anxious and jealous of all the extensions of its old people. Similar affront in Canada could not leave Ottawa indifferent, because it galvanised the envy of many Quebecers to give themselves a country where they would be truly masters in their own house.

The declamation of the general was certainly not the trigger of appétences independence, it was however a great catalyst for all the forces that animated the desire of countries. The following years gave rise to a variety of events such as those for a McGill French or against the laws on language, filed under the reigns of former prime ministers, Bertrand and Bourassa, contributing to exacerbate the desire of freedom.

The arrogance of the canadian prime minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and served to accentuate the resentment towards the central State and led to the advent of a few governments pq members and their two referendums.

The quest for independence of some and the fear of separation and others have reshaped our institutions over time and left more latitude to the provincial authorities. Individuals today enjoy more freedom with the improvement of their institutions and their economic conditions. The canadian and quebec charters were added to the consecration of the rights of the individual to the detriment of collective rights.

The desire of freedom of the general, however, did not materialize. On the contrary, the quest of countries is down since two decades and recall nostalgic of the “Vive le Quebec libre” will not be sufficient to rekindle the desire for independence. Like yesterday, it can only find its source in the soul of the inhabitants of the territory.