Ségolène's 'Gaffe' on Quebec's Independance

Quebec 'gaffe' causes Royal grief BBC.co.uk

French French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has denied interfering in Canada's affairs, after she voiced apparent sympathy for Quebec's freedom.

Ms Royal told reporters on Monday she supported "sovereignty and liberty" for Quebec, prompting a rebuke from Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

She now says she meant that "the people who vote are sovereign and free".

Ties between mainly French-speaking Quebec and the rest of Canada are a major domestic political issue.

Ms Royal's reported comments, which made headline news in Canada, followed a brief meeting in Paris on Monday with the leader of the pro-independence Parti Quebecois, Andre Boisclair.

She said she and Mr Boisclair had common positions that included "the sovereignty and freedom of Quebec".

Reacting to Ms Royal's comments, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "Experience teaches that it is highly inappropriate for a foreign leader to interfere in the democratic affairs of another country."

On Tuesday, Ms Royal said her views had not deviated from the long-standing French policy of "neither interference nor indifference" in Quebec.

"What I said, which I confirm, is that in any democracy, the people who vote are sovereign and free"

The people of Quebec would freely decide their destiny if and when the time comes, she said.

Untested

It is not the first time that Ms Royal has been criticised for what opponents say are diplomatic gaffes.

On a visit to Lebanon in December, she was accused of condoning remarks by a Hezbollah leader who compared Israel's former occupation of Lebanon to that of the Nazis in France.

In Beijing, she said France's justice system could learn lessons from China, a country which has long been accused of abusing human rights.

Critics say that Ms Royal, who is largely untested in diplomatic affairs, tailors her remarks to please whomever she is speaking to.

Opinion polls put her behind her conservative opponent Nicolas Sarkozy, France's Interior Minister.

I see nothing blundy from Ségolène's talk. Her spiel probably wasn't prepared at all and she just rehashed the 30 year old french position on Québec's Independence. If she risks being seen in France as frivole and tête en l'air, she might be quite differently welcomed in Québec. In fact, to me, it has all the elements of a new independence entice in public opinion. The fact that Ségolène is a woman, that she's is what we call here a solidaire and that she's been told off by the patronizing Dion, Harper and Sarkozy, basically saying she didn't understand anything to Quebec or to International relations. This leaves Royal in a pauvre petite position, wich could woo sympathy to her - hence to the independantist movement - and, qui sait, boost up PQ's popularityamongst Quebeckers.

yes no toaster

Instead of a "poor little" she may be the new figure of the affirmation of women in the political scene. Not thirving to follow the usual right side approach to the power. In fact she's the one that people in France are relying on to changes things that are too much on the economical side. The exemple of France president Chirac to stand amongst others in the Liban affaire is a good prediction of what's probably going to happen. The world need people to stand, or withstand, the "democracy" as seen by Bush and Blair. The moral aspect of such actions that have been commited for economical purposes is just what most need right now, it would only feed a need for fairness. The balance as been so tripped that it would be the natural come back of it. It's my opinion.

The elections will tell of course, as she says herself... Rolling Eyes

yes no toaster, aligator.

In this section, I'm both the moderator and the moderated.
I'm having a whale of a time.

Unfortunatly, none of us has the right to vote in the hexagone.

Here, the english-language report over Ségolène's sovereignty statement, from France 24.
mms://video.france24.com.edgestreams.net/EN%20NW%20PKG%20SEGOLENE%20CANADA_400.wmv