While the leaders' debate and the Canadiens game dominated the screens on Wednesday evening, more than 400 people made a different choice: to attend a joint conference by Ruba Ghazal and Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the heart of Montreal. The event, held at La Maison Théâtre, was sold out and had one slogan: “Defeat the right.” Report.
“Don't be surprised if you leave your ideas at the door of the polling station and don't find them in the ballot box,” Jean-Luc Mélenchon told a packed audience at La Maison Théâtre. The last time the leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) visited Quebec was in 2016. Nine years after his last visit to Montreal, the French politician is back in force in the context of federal elections.
By 5 p.m., the line was stretching through the Quartier des Spectacles. More than 1,000 people had registered, according to Québec solidaire. The crowd included students, retirees, activists, undecided voters... and the curious. All had come to see a political figure who leaves no one indifferent: Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Here, no one hesitated to respond to the joint call from Québec solidaire and La France Insoumise, despite the busy evening schedule.
“Honestly, I'm not really into hockey, and the leaders' debate is boring, so I wouldn't have watched it even if I hadn't had anything else planned. We know very well what's going to be said, which is not much,” says Imane, a 30-something who works in communications. Fred has just finished a three-hour exam. “It's a chance to hear Mélenchon in person. I want to know what they're going to say about tactical voting. I'm a bit torn... I don't know whether to vote tactically or stick to my values and vote for the NDP,” confided the sexology student. She is indeed hesitating to give her vote to the Liberal Party to counter the Conservative Party.
This dilemma between voting for conviction and voting strategically comes up in several conversations. Denis, a longtime activist, has a lot on his mind: “Québec solidaire has strayed from its roots. Before, they listened to the people, now they're just playing to the voters,” he says. The 69-year-old retiree hopes to see a stronger and more radical Quebec left emerge, like the conference guest. In the meantime, Denis will vote for the NDP, even though he doesn't think the party is in a position to win the election.
The same disillusionment is felt by Rayan, a 20-year-old Quebecer whose parents emigrated from Algeria: “The problem with Québec solidaire and the left here is that there are a lot of conflicts within the party itself, and people have less and less confidence in them. In France, LFI seems more united to me. And Mélenchon gives me hope,” says the young man, his gaze fixed on his phone's wallpaper... which features the French politician. He discovered Jean-Luc Mélenchon four years ago when he became interested in French politics and ‘fell in love’ with him. Delighted by his presence in Montreal, he didn't want to miss the opportunity to hear him speak.
A packed house and a captivated audience
When the doors opened at 6 p.m., the excitement turned into a rush. The 400-seat hall quickly filled up. Some people sat on the steps. The atmosphere was electric. QS director Myriam Fortin opened the evening. “It warms my heart to see so many people wanting to talk about the left and how to defeat the right,” said the Charlevoix native before welcoming Ruba Ghazal.
The co-spokesperson takes the stage to a standing ovation. “You saw the poster ‘Beat the Right’ with Ruba Ghazal and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and you thought, 'Where do I sign up? I have to hear Ruba Ghazal!' That's why there are so many people here, of course!” she said humbly, aware that most of those present had come to hear her French counterpart.
For about 30 minutes, she gave a straightforward assessment of the political landscape in Quebec and Canada. “The rise of the right has many faces and takes many forms, but we must not be fooled,” warns the elected official. ‘It always uses the same language: the language of exclusion, hatred of immigrants, rejection of social progress, isolationism, and the law of the strongest!’ declares Ruba Ghazal. She quotes Putin, Trump, Poilièvre and his “reactionary, populist and conservative right,” and Legault, whom she accuses of promoting a “narrow” vision of the Quebec people.
To loud applause from an audience won over to her cause, she hammered home the values that the left must defend without compromise in the face of the danger posed by right-wing policies: the environment, women's rights, which the right wing is waging “war” on, Indigenous rights, housing, health care, and more.
“The observations I am making here about Quebec, Jean-Luc saw coming long ago, several years ago in France. And now we can see where French politics has ended up. We are not there in Quebec,” said Ruba Ghazal before urging everyone to take action by donating to the party, joining it, or becoming an activist. She then gives way to the “highlight of the show.”
"As French people, we support Canada and Quebec."
Dressed in a black suit with a red tie, the color of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon enters the stage like a rock star. The audience, warmed up by a Ruba Ghazal in top form, gives the French politician a standing ovation. A smile spreads across the face of the man who knows he enjoys a certain popularity among Quebecers. “I am here because this is a Québec solidaire meeting, and La France Insoumise has been linked to Québec solidaire, through thick and thin, in mutual respect, friendship, and brotherhood in struggle,” he says in his opening remarks.
He then launches into an unexpected exercise by addressing a message to the US president in English, a language he considers “poor” and “unsuitable for deep reflection.” Despite his occasionally hesitant pronunciation, he delivers a monologue that is both politically powerful and humorous. “You said that Canada should become a US state. All Canadian leaders have told you that they oppose this. They said 'no'. And 'no' means 'no', in English as in French!” explained Mr. Mélenchon as if addressing a child.
He continued, feigning seriousness: ”As French people, we support Canada and Quebec. And I can tell you that most Europeans feel the same way. Right now, we support Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia. We would also support Canada and Quebec if they were invaded. The United States too, for that matter. Fortunately, no one is threatening you.” His playful remark provoked laughter and applause from the audience.
The rebel politician concluded this aside by asserting that, while European leaders “are afraid” of Trump, he is prepared to repeat this “to his face” if he wishes. Jean-Luc Mélenchon is heading to New York on Thursday, April 17, as part of the promotional tour for his new book, Faites mieux ! Vers la révolution citoyenne, which has been translated into English.
The 73-year-old politician, whose energy does not seem to be waning with age, then resumes his argument on the need to return to the foundations of the left.
The left must “accept that it is divisive”
“Being left-wing requires a form of intransigence. Not so much towards others, but towards oneself,” says the man who is often at the center of controversy for his positions. But according to Mr. Mélenchon, it is loyalty to his values, whatever the commentators may say, that explains the growing success of LFI in France.
For 45 minutes, the man whose oratory skills are well established delivered a clear message to his audience: the left must “accept itself,” “accept being divisive,” and “make no concessions.” On several occasions, Jean-Luc Mélenchon cites Kamala Harris as an example of what the left should not be, arguing that it was repeated concessions that weakened voters' confidence in her political ability to offer an alternative and led to Donald Trump's re-election.
He urges left-wing Canadians, while denying any desire to interfere, to remain true to their convictions. Without ever uttering the word, he clearly denounced tactical voting, which he considers counterproductive: “If you leave your ideas at the door of the polling station, don't be surprised if you don't find them in the ballot box,” chanted the man who has not yet confirmed his intention to run in the next presidential elections in France.
To close the evening, Ruba Ghazal joined Jean-Luc Mélenchon on stage and asked him a few questions in a discussion marked by a spirit of camaraderie. He explained why Francophonie and social media must be harnessed to enable an international union of left-wing forces, which he believes is the only way to confront the rise of the far right. However, no concrete proposals to make this union possible were clearly formulated during the evening.
For several years now, several members of La France Insoumise have become popular YouTubers, accumulating millions of views. “This doesn't prevent us from going to the traditional media, but it allows us to address voters directly, and we can see that it works,” he said. According to Mr. Mélenchon, it is possible to criticize Elon Musk while remaining on X, because “you have to be where the people are, otherwise you can't talk to them.”
This advice quickly took root in Ruba Ghazal's mind: ‘So, members of parliament, are you going to launch your own YouTube channels?’ she asked the elected officials in the room before closing the evening. The audience, clearly won over by the performance of two political figures who have a lot in common, gave them a standing ovation.
In the lobby of La Maison Théâtre, the evening continued around the stands. Québec solidaire took advantage of the event to solicit donations and attract new members, while La France insoumise offered Jean-Luc Mélenchon's book at a discounted price. It was a strategy that paid off.
Tania, 29, takes action: “I was a supporter, but tonight I'm joining. We complain a lot, but we don't do much. Tonight, I've decided to get involved.” Mission accomplished for Ghazal and Mélenchon: a breath of hope for a left that is searching for itself but not giving up.