In Praise of Small Countries: Difference between revisions

''I feel like telling you, as a certain triumphant general: "Long live free Scotland!"''

[...] Every time [[Wikipedia:René Lévesque|René Lévesque]] finds the occasion to speak in praise of small countries the size of [[Wikipedia:Quebec|Quebec]], such as [[Wikipedia:Switzerland|Switzerland]], [[Wikipedia:Sweden|Sweden]] or [[Wikipedia:Denmark|Denmark]], with an equivalent income per capita, he does not refrain from underlining their successes. The [[Wikipedia:sovereigntist|sovereigntist]] pedagogue then seeks to prove that a country of Quebec would do better than a simple province dependent on another people in majority whose interests and aspirations do not always match its own.

The other side of his liberating demonstration consists in showing that dependent peoples know the same vicissitudes as Quebecers. In June 1975, the occasion is given to him to go verify his theories in [[Wikipedia:Scotland|Scotland]]. The Scottish section of the ''[[Wikipedia:The Times|Times]]'' of London invited him as a "separatist" to a symposium on education in Edinburgh, historical capital of this Scotland fallen under the English ferule, in 1707, and whose national language, [[Wikipedia:Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]], was lost in the fog of time.

Preparing the text of his speech, René Lévesque takes inspiration from the book ''Scotland Today'' to draw up a parallel between the provincial annex of England that became Scotland and the French annex of Canada that became Quebec. Same population (5.2 million and 6 million). Same massive emigration to the United States at the turn of the 20th century due to unemployment. Same persistence of specific traditions (law, religion, school system) and national identity, in spite of the wounds of vassalage and assimilation. Same desire also of secession, the [[Wikipedia:Scottish National Party|Scottish National Party]] (SNP), favorable to the independence of Scotland, obtained 30 percent of popular votes and a minority of seats at the last elections, like the [[Wikipedia:Parti Québécois|Parti Québécois]].

He also underlines what differentiates Scotland from Quebec. Scots swapped Gaelic for English, whereas Quebec preserved its language. Forming only 10 percent of the population of England, Scots are more of a minority than Quebecers, who are about a third of the Canadian population. Lastly, contrary to Scotland which obeys in all matters to London, Quebec has a government and a Parliament that administer, make laws and raise taxes.

Unable to resist the urge to stumble [[Wikipedia:Vive le Québec libre|like a certain general]], René Lévesque utters an amused "Long live free Scotland!", all the while noting that his cry will surely not cause a storm in Great Britain because he is only a one small politician who is not even elected, and not a triumphant [[Wikipedia:Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]].

Leaving his Scottish friends, René Lévesque ensures them that Quebecers have "the will to become independent". Perhaps have the latter heard it. Three months later, at the end of October, a [http://www.crop.ca Crop opinion poll] carried out on the scale of the province places his party ahead. For the first time of its history, the PQ leads the Liberals. [...]

1. This is a translated excerpt of ''René Lévesque, héros malgré lui'' (pp.643-658), a book by Pierre Godin first published in 1997 at ''Les Éditions du Boréal''. This is an original and unofficial translation for this site.

2. The demographic data in this text is dated from the 1970s.