The feminist, the journalist and a long -term friendship of a quarter of a century

In a way, Françoise David was one of the characters in the universe of Pierre Foglia. He sometimes measured himself with the old politician, saying he was “practically left” like her, except that he was “not an activist^* ». He criticized her, he tightened her, he also praised her. And on the evening of his life, he wanted her to be by his side.

Their friendship was born on the other side of the world, in 2000. Foglia had followed a Quebec delegation in Baghdad who went there to testify to the effect of American sanctions in Iraq. Françoise David was on the trip. Until then, they had spoke a few times, but had never met.

The first hours of the trip were rather tense. “Pierre and the feminists … let’s say that it was never crazy love,” says Françoise David, joined Wednesday in Kamouraska. “So, the first day, he tested me, and I knew it. He said nonsense, he was doing the funny, he was not always, funny … Clearly, he wanted to see if I was going to get angry. »»

Françoise David remained imperturbable. “And then, suddenly during supper, he said to me:” Coudonc! You’re feminist, but you’re fine, you! ” And it was the start of our friendship. »»

On the edges of the tiger, arm, arm below, the two new friends got to know each other. “We were talking about our loves, our children, our lives. Vermont, which we both loved. Bicycle. Of politics. »»

From Louise to Quebec Solidaire

It is with “L’Histoire de Louise” that Françoise David and Foglia got to know each other. Louise’s story? A series of chronicles published in March 1989 on a woman accused of sexual assault on her daughter, whom she risked losing guard. A case that had made the headlines at the time.

Françoise David, at that time, was coordinator of the grouping of women’s women in Quebec. “Pierre had done his own investigation, and he wrote these chronicles to say that in his opinion, the child’s father was using something deeply harmless to tearing a child from his mother,” she recalls. “So there, when I read this, my heart only takes a look. I phone Pierre Foglia and ask her if Louise would agree to meet me so that we can mobilize women to support him. She accepted. »»

Louise will finally be acquitted. A few years later, Françoise David crossed it by chance. “She had a good job, her daughter grew well. And she told me that she owed one in Foglia. »»

So many others, said m^me David, he owes him one. Like these immigrants threatened with expulsion which she submitted to the case in Foglia at the time when she was at the head of the Federation of Women of Quebec. “On occasion, he agreed to talk about it. Once, he refused because after investigating, he had trouble believing the story of the person. It shows how perfectionist he was. »»

In 2004, Françoise David published Common good soughta test that will be a prelude to the birth of a citizen option, then of Québec Solidaire. In The press From June 19, Foglia boasts “the limpidity of the arguments exposed” in the book of M^me David and pays tribute to him … in his own way:

“By the way, Françoise David is one of the few public people who can say Women and men, citizens, citizen, militants, militants In the same sentence, without the desire taking me to whisper at low: will shit, thing. His feminine does not have only a sex, he has the weight of inequalities. »»

At that time of our conversation, Françoise David interrupted for a moment. “Well, that’s it, that’s where I start crying …”

But he was not always tender towards her, she recalls. He also wrote that she “would have misery to be elected” deputy because she was “not as flamboyant as Ummo Khadir”, the other spokesperson for Québec Solidaire … “When I was finally elected in 2012, I called her. Not flamboyant enough, huh? He was of a formidable deductible, it was to be taken or to leave. I decided to take. »»

Two friends far from the spotlight

Their friendship will not really flower until later, when one and the other have left public life. It will extend to the spouse of M^me David, a former history teacher whose father was a typographer. The couple visited him, bringing pastries. “On a Vermont map, he had traced his favorite journey to us. I still have it. »»

The disease progressed, “but his brain was intact, shiny, until the end. But physically, everything became more difficult ”.

Françoise David remained, until the end, in the limited circle of the people with whom Foglia kept in touch. “I can’t explain it to you, I still wonder why he accepted that we come to visit him. »»

“He had lent me the complete collection of Annie Ernaux books. Another feminist is interesting when you think about it … “She shares her passion for the writer whose work he has often praised.

“The last time I spoke to him at length was last spring,” she said. A few weeks ago, she learned that he was hospitalized. Last Saturday, she went to visit him. “We brought him two tiramisus. He was happy … I knew, I felt that it was the last time I saw him. »»

Tuesday evening, too upset at the announcement of her death, she preferred not to grant an interview. The next day, she reminded us to tell us about her friend at length-and it will be the only interview she will grant, she said.

She wanted to salute “the courage and dignity” of her friend in the face of illness, and to offer her thoughts to Manuel and Dawn, her children, as well as in Suzanne, her “fiancée”. “I want to pay tribute to his love, his courage, his support for Pierre. And then, I guess the big void that it leaves for her. »»

“Now I’m going to cycle,” she said before hanging up. “About twenty kilometers thinking of him, telling me that he would have liked it. Maybe he wouldn’t want us to have too long … but on that, he has no power. »»

* Read the chronicle “Pro Domo, for my house”