Étapisme (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for ''gradualism'') is the term for a strategy for independence dominant in the
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...
since 1974. It is associated with the figure of
Claude Morin, who convinced Parti Québécois leader
René Lévesque
René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...
and eventually a majority of party delegates to adopt its principles. Proponents of the strategy are called ''étapistes''.
It advocates a
step-by-step approach to achieving independence. Before 1974, the Parti Québécois programme stipulated that independence would be declared upon electing a majority of Parti Québécois Members of the
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; french: link=no, déput ...
(MNAs), under Quebec's
first-past-the-post electoral system
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting
Score voting or ...
and its
British parliamentary system. Under ''étapisme'', the Parti Québécois would promise a good government first and propose a referendum on independence second.
At the
first referendum of 1980, ''étapisme'' was also implemented in the referendum process, since the question asked for a mandate to negotiate
sovereignty-association
The Quebec sovereignty movement (french: Mouvement souverainiste du Québec) is a political movement whose objective is to achieve the sovereignty of Quebec, a province of Canada since 1867, including in all matters related to any provision of ...
with Canada with the commitment to hold a second referendum to ratify the resulting agreement.
From time to time, this approach has been challenged by
hardliners. Two of the most famous challenges to ''étapisme'' were at the 1981 National Congress, colloquially known as the ''Renérendum'' (because René Lévesque put his leadership in question in an internal vote on the question), and with the so-called Parizeau-Laplante Proposition of the 2000s.
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau (; August 9, 1930June 1, 2015) was a Canadian politician and Québécois economist who was a noted Quebec sovereigntist and the 26th premier of Quebec from September 26, 1994, to January 29, 1996.
Early life and career
Pariz ...
was opposed to this strategy
[Political fallout intensified by Parti Quebecois nostalgia: SIBLIN, ERIC. The Vancouver Sun; Vancouver, B.C. 19 May 1992: A8.] and ratification in a second referendum would not be proposed again in the
referendum of 1995.
See also
*
Pur et dur
Pur et dur (a common expression in French literally meaning "pure and hard") is a term used in Quebec politics to refer to hardliners of the Parti Québécois and the Quebec independence movement. It is most commonly used in the media, where it ...
- opposing tendency in the Quebec sovereignty movement
*
SNP gradualism (similar strategy in the Scottish National Party)
*
Gradualism
Gradualism, from the Latin ''gradus'' ("step"), is a hypothesis, a theory or a tenet assuming that change comes about gradually or that variation is gradual in nature and happens over time as opposed to in large steps. Uniformitarianism, incrementa ...
*
Incrementalism
:''In politics, the term "incrementalism" is also used as a synonym for Gradualism.''
Incrementalism is a method of working by adding to a project using many small incremental changes instead of a few (extensively planned) large jumps. Logical i ...
*
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement (french: Mouvement souverainiste du Québec) is a political movement whose objective is to achieve the sovereignty of Quebec, a province of Canada since 1867, including in all matters related to any provision of ...
*
Realos, gradualist tendency in
Green politics
Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It b ...
*
Reformist socialism
Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement.
Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can eve ...
and
Possibilism, gradualist tendencies in the socialist movement
*
Libertarian possibilism
Libertarian possibilism ( es, posibilismo libertario) was a political current in early-20th-century Spanish anarchism that advocated achieving the anarchist ends of ending the state and capitalism by participation in structures of contemporary par ...
, current in the Spanish anarchist movement supporting participation in parliamentary politics
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etapisme
Parti Québécois
Quebec political phrases