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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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'Quebecois' nation?Lower house of Canadian parliament, House of Commons, declared that 'Quebecois' is a nation within 'united Canada'. Will this move precipitate break up of Canada? Or is it a clever and far-reaching move designed to appease moods and make Quebec unproblematic province once for all? Opinions differ. The stakes are too high to leave this question without appropriate discussion. My opinion on this issue, I hope that the close distance to it doesn't interfere with my judgment, is that this recognition with appropriate interpretation will appease situation in Quebec, making it less likely seceding from Canada at any time soon.
History primerCanada is a federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, and also a country populated of hundreds of different ethnicities, including 'first nations', i.e. groups that lived far before Europeans settled down. Canadian nation in theory stands above all ethnic and other cultural differences; this nation is a political body of citizens with certain equal political and social rights. In reality however some Canadians are 'more equal' than others, e.g. English-speaking Canadian citizens living in French-speaking province of Quebec can send their children to English public schools; naturalized Canadian citizens that cannot prove to be native English speakers, like myself, can send children only to French public schools. Thus from their first steps in Canada immigrants that happen to choose Quebec learn the hard way the lesson that citizens don't always have the same rights. Especially if they can't afford paying private schools' tuition fees.What makes this linguistic discrimination not only possible but even legal is the fact that above all provincial and ethnic differences, one major split goes deep into Canada's genetic code, English Canada vs. French Canada. The country was initially colonized by two European powers, but during the second half of 18th c. Britain took it all, making French catholic population part of a greater political entity. Up until mid-20th c. French Canadians consider themselves as distinctive society within Canada as opposed to English Canadians. In the last 40 years this homogenous group started cracking, a process having some current sociological consequences. One part of French Canadians, by far the largest one, living in Quebec, consider themselves as a distinctive nation with right to secede. Quebec separatists lost two consecutive referenda on this issue, in 1980 and in 1995, but they are nevertheless ready to make another try, soon after their separatist party wins provincial election, most probable date for the next election is the first half of 2007. So far they tried everything to convince the federal government to recognize their nation, considering this as a first step on the long road toward political independence and international recognition of Quebec.
Unexpected move in OttawaAfter years of rejecting the very idea of Quebecois as a nation, current conservative government made unexpectedly a U-turn and supported this idea, however adding that this nation is part of 'united Canada', a qualification that Quebec separatists had to digest in order to make this recognition go through. Recognition itself sparked different and very emotional reaction throughout Canada. Most English Canadians don't accept it because they fear it will be used as an additional argument for separation; 'each nation has right for self-determination, political independence is form of self-determination, ergo Quebec has right to secede from Canada and to become an independent country'. On the other hand, many separatists don't accept the addition of 'united Canada', fearing that somehow their nation may be genetically linked to Canada as political entity; 'no nation outside Canada'. Which interpretation is closer to reality? Difficult to say but some early signs appear suggesting that Canada may be on its way on of appeasing instead of exacerbating separatist claims.
Split within French CanadiansA recent poll suggests that recognizing 'Quebecois' nation produces irreversible psychological split within the larger group of French Canadians. French speaking Canadians outside Quebec don't accept recognition in the same proportions as their English-speaking fellow citizens. On the other hand, two thirds of French-speaking population of Quebec supports this recognition. Non-French-speaking population of the province rejects recognition by two to one margin. The conclusions are clear: First, this recognition splits French Canadian population into three different identities, Quebecois, Acadians (living in New Brunswick) and the rest, mainly living in Ontario (Franco-Ontarians). Only Quebecois support this recognition, the other French-speaking groups reject it, perhaps because it makes this internal French-French split official; Second, this recognition splits Quebec population on supporters and opponents according to linguistic lines, a real nightmare for separatists willing to preset their national project as built on multiethnic base; Third, a third of French-speakers in Quebec don't accept this recognition; this fact obviously reveals ethnic diversity within French majority; Fourth, this recognition of 'Quebecois' instead of Quebec as a nation makes impossible any secession automatically along administrative borders of Quebec. Quebecois may have some day a country, but it may not look like Quebec in terms of territory and borders. On the top of all this, Quebec separatist parties have made these conclusions official by voting in Canadian House of Commons, and in Quebec National Assembly.
Why appeasement?This declaration of recognition neither makes separation or stabilization of Quebec more likely per se. It however will act on personal behavior of those who will cast their ballots during next, hopefully the last, unsuccessful referendum on independence. Separatists will have hard time explaining why most French Canadians outside Quebec and why a third of French speakers inside Quebec have nothing to do with their nation, supposedly built on inclusiveness and French language. Separatists will also know that any separation of Canada may be followed by separation of Quebec along linguistic lines; and, which is even more nightmarish, that some French speakers may finally prefer living in that part of Quebec that will opt remaining part of 'united Canada'. This means those who see this declaration as a way to appease moods in Quebec, maybe they are right after all.
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