Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
Encyclopedia
The Mouvement Souveraineté-Association (MSA, English: Movement for Sovereignty-Association) was formed on November 19, 1967 by René Lévesque
to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec
and the rest of Canada
.
Formerly a member of the Parti libéral du Québec
, René Lévesque quit the party with a few hundred others after his proposal of a sovereign Quebec associated to the rest of Canada was rejected during a party convention. The MSA quickly began to move for a merger of all the independence movements in Quebec, which at the time were the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
(RIN) and the Ralliement national
(RN).
In January 1968, the MSA published the manifesto Option Québec
. From April 19 to 21, it held its first Congrès d'orientation with its 7300 members. The convention led to the publication of a groundwork document entitled Ce pays qu'on peut bâtir (This country that we can build) and the decision to create a new political party dedicated to Sovereignty-Association.
From October 11 to 14, the MSA held its first national congress in Quebec City
. The merger of the MSA and the RN created the Parti Québécois
(PQ). MSA leader René Lévesque was elected president of the PQ, and RN leader Gilles Grégoire
became vice-president.
On October 26 Pierre Bourgault
, leader of the RIN, dissolved the party and invited its members to join the PQ.
The short-lived MSA had served its purpose: sovereigntist forces in Quebec were united under a single party. Three elections later, the PQ won the 1976 Quebec provincial election
, with historic consequences.
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the rest of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Formerly a member of the Parti libéral du Québec
Parti libéral du Québec
The Quebec Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955....
, René Lévesque quit the party with a few hundred others after his proposal of a sovereign Quebec associated to the rest of Canada was rejected during a party convention. The MSA quickly began to move for a merger of all the independence movements in Quebec, which at the time were the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
The Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale was a political organization dedicated to the promotion of Quebec national independence from Canada.-History:...
(RIN) and the Ralliement national
Ralliement national
Ralliement national was a political party that advocated the political independence of Quebec from Canada in the 1960s.It was led by former créditiste Gilles Grégoire...
(RN).
In January 1968, the MSA published the manifesto Option Québec
Option Québec
An Option for Quebec is an essay by former Premier of Quebec René Lévesque published in 1968. The essay presents the constitutional proposal of a group of progressive liberals who, after leaving the Liberal Party of Quebec, formed the Sovereignty-Association Movement.- Context :On September 18,...
. From April 19 to 21, it held its first Congrès d'orientation with its 7300 members. The convention led to the publication of a groundwork document entitled Ce pays qu'on peut bâtir (This country that we can build) and the decision to create a new political party dedicated to Sovereignty-Association.
From October 11 to 14, the MSA held its first national congress in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. The merger of the MSA and the RN created the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
(PQ). MSA leader René Lévesque was elected president of the PQ, and RN leader Gilles Grégoire
Gilles Grégoire
Gilles Grégoire was a co-founder of the Parti Québécois.Born in Quebec City, the son of Joseph-Ernest Grégoire, he was elected in 1962 to the House of Commons with the Ralliement des créditistes...
became vice-president.
On October 26 Pierre Bourgault
Pierre Bourgault
Pierre Bourgault was a French Canadian politician and essayist of Breton origin, as well as an actor and journalist from Quebec, Canada. He is most famous as a public speaker who advocated sovereignty for Quebec from Canada.- Profile :Bourgault was born in East Angus in the Estrie region of Quebec...
, leader of the RIN, dissolved the party and invited its members to join the PQ.
The short-lived MSA had served its purpose: sovereigntist forces in Quebec were united under a single party. Three elections later, the PQ won the 1976 Quebec provincial election
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
, with historic consequences.
See also
- Parti QuébécoisParti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
- Quebec Sovereignism
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- List of Canadian political parties
- Secessionist movements of CanadaSecessionist movements of CanadaThroughout the history of Canada, there have been movements seeking secession from Canada.-Newfoundland:There is a secessionist movement in Newfoundland based on its unique culture and its history, prior to 1949, of being a self-governing Dominion...