FRANCE: French presidential contender Segolene Royal has stonewalled journalists' questions at a news conference after Canada issued her with public rebuke for Quebec comments

French presidential contender Segolene Royal has stonewalled journalists' questions at a news conference after Canada issued her with a highly unusual public rebuke. The Canadian government was angered at Royal's expressions of sympathy for the idea of an independent Quebec. Royal made her controversial comments on Monday (January 22) after a meeting in Paris with Andre Boisclair, leader of the separatist Parti Quebecois. The Radio Canada network reported her saying the two had common positions which included "the sovereignty of Quebec". Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a terse statement that it was highly "inappropriate" for a foreign leader to interfere in the democratic affairs of another country. Asked by reporters at a Paris news conference on Tuesday (January 23) to repeat her statement, Royal replied: "I just told you that I made my position very clear this morning." Probed again she said: "I said what I had to say." Separatists in French-speaking Quebec have been trying to break away from the rest of Canada for more than 40 years, causing major headaches for the province of Ottawa. Polls show Royal - the Socialist Party candidate - is slightly trailing conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy, currently the Interior Minister. The first round of voting takes place on April 22. Royal's special advisor Jack Lang tried to defuse the row, telling Reuters: "We don't want to interfere in the domestic affairs of Canada. But we can easily understand that we are not indifferent to the battle that our friends are waging in Quebec for the Quebec singularity, a culture to be more recognised. I can't see anything scandalous in this." Quebec was founded in the early 17th century by French explorers but passed into British hands in 1763 after the two nations fought a war in North America. French President Charles de Gaulle sparked a diplomatic crisis with Ottawa when he declared "Vive le Quebec libre" (Long live free Quebec) during a visit in 1967. The remark prompted such a diplomatic uproar that he cut short his visit and returned home.

ITN Source | January 24, 2007

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