Justin Trudeau deplores the rise of the “populist right” in France

Photo: Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir Justin Trudeau during a press conference at the Howie-Morenz Arena

Boris Proulx and Zacharie Goudreault

Published yesterday at 3:11 p.m.

• Canada

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, deplored “the rise of the populist right” that he sees in the French legislative elections, but without naming the National Rally (RN) party of Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen.

“I think we are seeing a rise of the populist right across the world, in all our democracies,” let down the head of the Canadian government during his visit to Montreal on Wednesday.

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He was responding to a question about the results of the first round of legislative elections in France, in which the far right came first. “There are some who see that people are anxious, and they decide to amplify these anxieties, in France and elsewhere,” offered Justin Trudeau by way of analysis. “Controversy and fury generate clicks and headlines. But the work that must be done in all our societies […], to resolve the major challenges and not just amplify them […] This is what we are doing here in Canada and this is what we is being seen all over the world in the efforts of progressive parties. »

The Prime Minister did not support any “progressive party” in particular, unlike Quebec MP and deputy leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Alexandre Boulerice, which invited French nationals living in Montreal to vote for New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties. “The far right is at the gates of power in France,” he warns on his social media.

Solidarity MP in the Quebec National Assembly Ruba Ghazal announced the distribution of NFP-branded leaflets in the Montreal metro, which earned her an accusation of “interference” from a defeated Rassemblement National candidate.

The public inquiry commission led by Judge Marie-Josée Hogue on the subject of foreign interference, however, limits this concept to the malicious secret activities of states, excluding from the outset the expression of political opinions originating abroad.

In France, certain NFP candidates who came third in the first round of the legislative elections decided to withdraw for the second round in order to block the RN, as did candidates from President Emmanuel Macron's camp. In the country, during next Sunday's vote, however, it is these two parties that will compete for the seat of the first constituency of French people established outside France, which includes Canada and the United States.

The National Rally candidate in the constituency, Aurélien Nambride, was eliminated in the first round, due to not having received more than 12.5% ​​of the votes. Contacted by Le Devoir, he did not want to react to the comments made by Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.