Quebec nationalism under the CAQ: National unity after the 2022 Quebec provincial election

Canadian observers of the Quebec political scene are confronted with an apparent paradox. On the one hand, sovereignty has fallen off the political agenda, with the Parti Québécois anticipated to be all but shut out of the Assembly after the October provincial election. On the other hand, the CAQ government is spearheading an activist agenda based on identity politics, through legislation such as Bills 21 and 96. The culmination of the court challenges to these bills (through eventual rulings from the Supreme Court) risk triggering a renewed debate about the legitimacy of the Canadian constitution and of federal political institutions in the eyes of francophone Quebecers. In the face of these developments, should Quebec’s federal partners be celebrating the end of the threat posed by the sovereigntist movement, or gearing up for a new national unity crisis? Featured

Speakers:

• Emilie Nicolas, Columnist with Le Devoir and the Montreal Gazette
• Andrew Parkin, Executive Director, Environics Institute
• Charles Breton, Executive Director, Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation