François Legault sounds alarm on French in Montreal in farewell speech: ‘I am worried’
It’s a theme François Legault has returned to time and again.
In his farewell speech as premier, Legault once again warned about the future of French in Montreal, as he leaves office with his party plummeting in the polls.
“When I look at the situation in Montreal, I am worried,” Legault, who turns 69 in May, said Thursday in Quebec’s National Assembly. “Whether it is the language used at home, at work or in public space, there is a decline.”
Among several messages in his speech, he urged lawmakers across party lines to take responsibility for protecting French.
“It’s true that our nation is evolving. But we have the right to wish for Quebec to remain Quebec,” he said.
When Legault took office in 2018, he set about implementing a “third way”: remain in Canada but protect and advance Quebec’s identity and culture, culminating in one of the most aggressive efforts in a generation to strengthen French.
Most notably was Bill 96, which came into force in June 2025, requiring French to dominate public signage and extend francisation rules to smaller businesses. There was also the targeting of English-speaking higher education institutions, with tuition hikes for out-of-province students, among other policies.
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Enforcement under Legault’s administration has also intensified. The province’s language watchdog has seen its budget roughly double since 2018.
But it’s an issue, however, that remains fiercely contested across the province.
A 2025 survey commissioned for a study by QUESCREN found 72 per cent of francophones believe French is under threat. However, 70 per cent of Quebec’s anglophones said it is not.
On April 12, about 20,000 party members of the Coalition Avenir Québec, which Legault founded in 2011, will choose a new leader: Christine Fréchette or Bernard Drainville. That person will automatically become Quebec’s next premier.
Ahead of a general election later this year, the CAQ finds itself in an uphill battle: A recent Léger survey placed support for the CAQ at only nine per cent, a level that could leave the party with no seats if an election were held today, according to analysts.
Legault, who himself leaves with the lowest approval rating of any Canadian premier, is expected to continue as the MNA for L’Assomption.
What else to know from Legault’s speech
- Legault, a co-founder of Air Transat before his political career, urged Quebecers not to become “jaded and fearful,” citing global instability, including tensions linked to Donald Trump and continuing wars, as a reason to stay grounded.
- Legault said francophones survived “improbable” odds over 400 years by defending their language, culture and values.
- Quebec Liberal Leader André Fortin praised him as a “self-made man” who “gave everything” during difficult years.
- Parti-Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon commended Legault’s commitment to Quebec. He also used his tribute to question what Legault’s “third way” achieved in terms of gains from Ottawa.
With files from The Gazette’s Philip Authier.
Do you have a story tip? Write to me at hnorth@postmedia.com
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