René Lévesque

René Lévesque was a Quebec journalist and politician who founded the Parti Québécois and served as Quebec’s premier from 1976 to 1985.

Parti Québécois: A Quebec political party founded in 1968 to pursue Quebec sovereignty and social-democratic policies. Lévesque founded the party and led it to its first provincial election victory.
1980 Quebec referendum: A Quebec referendum in which voters rejected a mandate to negotiate sovereignty-association with Canada. Lévesque’s government asked voters for permission to negotiate; 59.6 percent voted no.
Quiet Revolution: A period of rapid secularization and state-led modernization in Quebec during the 1960s. Lévesque’s political outlook and early government service emerged from this transformation.
1976 Quebec general election: The Quebec election in which the Parti Québécois won a majority and René Lévesque became premier. The victory brought Lévesque’s party to power for the first time.
Pierre Trudeau: A Canadian prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984 who opposed Quebec sovereignty. His federalist vision directly clashed with Lévesque’s project for Quebec sovereignty.
Quebec Charter of the French Language: A 1977 Quebec law that made French the province’s official language and regulated its use in public life. Lévesque’s government enacted the law, which reshaped language policy and public institutions.
Radio-Canada: Canada’s French-language public broadcaster, established in 1936 as the French service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Lévesque became a prominent journalist and war correspondent through its French-language service.
1981 Quebec general election: The Quebec election in which the Parti Québécois won a second consecutive majority under Lévesque. The result renewed his mandate after voters had rejected sovereignty-association.
Jean Lesage: A Quebec Liberal politician who served as premier from 1960 to 1966 and led the Quiet Revolution. Lévesque served in Lesage’s cabinet before leaving the Liberals to found the Parti Québécois.
National Energy Program: A Canadian federal energy policy introduced in 1980 that sought greater national control over petroleum resources. The program triggered a dispute between Lévesque’s Quebec government and Trudeau’s federal government.

Linked from 2 pages