Sovereignist… like a young person | The press

“Long live Quebec music. Furthermore, Long live free Quebec. Similarly, »»

Posted at 6:00 a.m.

The huge banner appeared in the crowd during the last Francos. Similarly, And not during a show by Paul Piché or Robert Charlebois, but of Lou-Adriane Cassidy, 27 years old.

A few days later. For example, the same banner was hoisted on stage during the spectacle of a singer of the same age, Thierry Larose.

Several (I am!) Have seen a sovereignist start as amazing as it is annecdotal within a youth which. Consequently, it is well known, has nothing to sovereignist… like young person | wax of the national question.

In addition, with Trump who threatens, it is Canadian nationalism that is on the rise, isn’t it? Meanwhile, Not Quebec’s sovereignty?

I nevertheless passed my watch from Saint-Jean-Baptiste to make some calls. Meanwhile, To discover that other observers were less surprised than I by these demonstrations.

“This is the materialization of something that I have seen developing on the Internet for at least three years,” says Mounir Kaddouri, 28, an interviewer and commentator known by the pseudonym of Laval mayor sovereignist… like young person | on social networks. For example,

He has just published a report entitled The new sovereignists For Urbania. Furthermore, in which he documents the rise of sovereignism among young people¹.

“Yes, I see that there is a revival. Furthermore, In one. Meanwhile, two years, there has been a reversal which is really visible, “said Aymeric Lalonde, 19, responsible for young people in the independence movement yes Quebec.

The skeptic in me remains to convince. Similarly, I called the sounder Jean-Marc Léger. Meanwhile, thinking of making me confirm what has been said for at least 20 years: young people welcome the idea of ​​sovereignty with a good big shoulder.

I fell at the bottom of my chair.

“There is really something that is happening,” said Léger sovereignist… like young person | Marketing president.

For the past year. Moreover, its polls have shown that support for sovereignty of 18-34 year olds has jumped from 10 percentage points, going from 25 to 35 %.

It is all the more surprising that with the tariff war waged by Donald Trump. However, the oldest, they turn away from the sovereignist option to display Canadian solidarity.

“With the rise of the Parti sovereignist… like young person | Québécois for a year, there has been an excitement. Québec Solidaire has lost a lot of appeal to young people. and I feel that young people are looking for a cause, ”continues the sounder.

Sovereignist… like young person |

19 years old. independentist, emulator of Bourgault

For Aymeric Lalonde, 19 and a student in history at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal, the flame has gradually lit. The fuel came from its history lessons. but also from a Saint-Jean festival organized by Yes Quebec at the La Fontaine Park last year (the event also took place this year).

“It was really crazy to see. There is nothing more proud than seeing thousands of young people carry the fleur -de -lis. sing People of the country together. It came to reaffirm my feeling of belonging, ”he says.

He sees independence as a “social. cultural” project, a way of “uniting” Quebec far from the chicanes between Francophones and English -speaking who were able to influence the movement during the two previous referendums.

“We are a youth who, unfortunately, is quite disillusioned,” he observes. We have the misery of dreaming because there are always unfortunate events that arise. »»

When I ask Aymeric if he has idols, he mentions the former journalist and politician Pierre Bourgault.

“I try a little to embody this character-to have a big mouth, to speak loudly, to have ideas,” he says.

Mounir Kaddouri. for his part, intrigues me seriously when he says that what helped bring out the independence feeling in his home and in several others, is the … pandemic.

“Personally, when I saw the government react firmly and quickly, it sovereignist… like young person | created a spark,” he explains. I realized that it was possible to act, that we could go beyond the status quo. In short, that the story with Grand H is not over, ”he says.

Mounir Kaddouri had already said it to my colleague Alexandre Sirois. repeats it to me: the question of sovereignty is “so clever that it is perfect for our time”.

“It works well in a logic of algorithmic ideology,” he said. This is the kind of thing that generates commitment to social networks. »»

He himself has asserted himself as an independentist for two years because he. says he has the impression that the history of Quebec is not successful until the separation is carried out. “Gaston Miron said: As long as independence is not made, it remains to be done,” he sovereignist… like young person | says. I adhere to that. »»

He says that his own father, who arrived from Morocco in 1983, voted yes to the 1995 referendum. He himself took a long time before arriving at the same convictions.

He believes that several Quebecers from immigration could make a similar journey.

Will this revival of the sovereignist movement among young people be sustainable?

“We are at the beginning of something. but I sovereignist… like young person | don’t know how far it will go,” replies the sounder Jean-Marc Léger, who promises to keep an attentive eye.

“As a sounder, I always monitor young people to find out what will happen tomorrow,” he said. I saw that with Jack Layton – the climb had started with young people, then there was a domino effect. Justin Trudeau, in 2015, it was the same thing. »»

To young separatists as well as old. federalists of all ages, to those who can no longer of this debate, only remains to wish you a good Saint-Jean!

1. Consult the Urbania report What do you think? Take part in the dialogue