[LINK] "Economic crisis no time to talk Que. sovereignty: Sarkozy"

[rfmcdonald]

From the Montreal Gazette comes more evidence that Sarkozy has decisively broken from the traditional French policy, first and most famously set under De Gaulle, of not opposing if not outright supporting Québec separatism.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy downplayed Quebec sovereignty Monday, saying the world needs unity, not hatred and division, in Canada as it tries to face down an unprecedented economic crisis.

Sarkozy, who is preparing a major speech Thursday on the global economic collapse that is shaking Europe’s political foundations, appeared almost exasperated as he raised France’s role in the ongoing Canadian unity polemic.

“Do you really believe that the world, with the unprecedented (economic) crisis that it is going through, needs division? Needs hatred?” Sarkozy said at a ceremony at which he presented Quebec Premier Jean Charest with the France’s Legion of Honour medal.

He said disunity sends the wrong message to the Francophonie alliance of 56 French-speaking countries, many of them underdeveloped.

The Francophonie should be about unity, tolerance and openness, he told a gathering that included Francophonie Secretary General Abdou Diouf.

"Those who do not understand that, I don’t think they like the Francophonie, I do not think they have understood the message of the Francophonie - the universal values that we share in Quebec as in France: the rejection of sectarianism, the rejection of division, the refusal to retreat into oneself.”

Sarkozy seemed anxious to bury France’s long-standing policy of non-interference and non-indifference - called “ni-ni” in shorthand French - in Quebec’s possible separation from Canada.

Sarkozy, who outlined his pro-Canadian unity views in Quebec City last October, repeated his position that Canada is France’s close friend but Quebeckers are like siblings.

The ni-ni concept - long considered an irritant by Canadian federalists because the vague “non-indifference” statement implied possible support for Quebec separation - isn’t appropriate for friends or family, he said.

“The non-interference, non-indifference, honestly, it is not really my thing,” Sarkozy told a group of guests that included various senior French and Quebec government officials as well as Canadian billionaire Paul Desmarais, Quebec songwriter Luc Plamondon and Quebec actress-singer Carole Laure.