The revaluation of the French language envisioned by Valérie Plante should not stand in the way of Montreal's anglicization.

French language minister Jean-Francois Roberge wasn't the only one surprised to see Mayor Valérie Plante describe tuition hikes for Canadian students who want to study outside of Quebec as an “attack on Montreal.” in Anglo-Montreal universities.

At the invitation of the mayor, Louise Harel, former minister of state for municipal affairs, became the first president of the French language committee of the city of Montreal, created in 2022, which is uncompromising on linguistic issues. M.ⁱ Harel was probably never a big reader NewspaperBut” No thanks ” this is Mⁱ Plante said in an interview that he didn't run away from it.

This must not have escaped his former colleague and friend, also a member of the French language committee, Louise Beaudoin. When he was minister responsible for the French language in the Bouchard government, he did not hesitate to discipline the French when he decided that their Anglophilia was crossing the line.

Mⁱ Plante was never seen as a great defender of the Frenchman, quite the opposite. The activities of these two women in this regard may have given some credibility to his 2021-2024 action plan for the promotion of the French language, but it does not make their task any easier.

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Jean-Francois Roberge, the current minister of the French language, said Thursday that he cannot be considered an “ally” despite what the mayor of Montreal said in 2021. Bill 96 on language. If we believe his words, Mⁱ Plante believes that the promotion of the French language should not prevent the Anglicization of the metropolis.

It was surprising to hear him say that there should be no difference between the treatment given to the two giants, McGill and Concordia, at Bishop's University, which is located in an environment that does not threaten the French language. English-speaking customers will be impressed by their language in the city center.

It was predictable that tuition hikes approved by the Legault government would lead to lower enrollments. Last November, McGill spoke of a 20% to 80% drop in Canadian students from outside Quebec, threatening the existence of some of its faculties and sports teams. The latest news is that this indicator is 22%. In Concordia, 27%.

Tuition will not increase from $9,000 to $17,000 as originally planned, but instead to $12,000. On the other hand, Quebec wants to introduce a cumulative francization of 80% of new non-Quebec registrants. You may be wondering whether the cost or the obligation of learning French is the biggest concern for you.

This will undoubtedly inconvenience McGill and Concordia. This will undoubtedly reduce Montreal's attractiveness as a university city, resulting in a negative economic impact, but this is largely the price paid to ensure the stability of French society. We can continue to play ostrich like Mⁱ Plant, but now it is impossible to spare neither the goat nor the cabbage.

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As misfortune continues for the Legault government, protecting the French remains a solid asset for the Coalition Avenir Quebec and is well suited to the role it wants to play as “Captain Quebec in Canada.” Prime Minister.

Deputies of SAC, whom we had not heard of, went to the front. Valerie Schmaltz (Vimont) accused Mⁱ Plants that want to build a wall around Montreal to make it look better. On behalf of the regions, her colleague Stéphanie Lacance (Belchas) asked for French protection “from one end to the other” of Quebec.

If Mayor Plante isn't an “ally,” we might as well wonder about Denis Coderre. If there's one thing these irreducible enemies have in common, it's their weakness when it comes to language.

During Denis Coderre's visit Duty, was asked during the 2021 municipal campaign what he plans to do to promote the French language and integrate immigrants if he becomes mayor again. He could not say anything about it, except that for Montreal, the “English reality” was an added value, that there should be no “reductive vision” of the metropolis and, above all, not to succumb to the “provincialism syndrome”. .

The Quebec Liberal Party's English-speaking clientele will no doubt welcome the approach, but if the leadership contender wants to reconnect his party with the French-speaking electorate, it will take a bit of pushing.

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