François Legault leaves on mission to Paris
Posted June 12, 2025 10:45 am.
Last Updated June 12, 2025 11:01 am.
Primer of Quebec François Legault will begin a four-day mission to Paris on Friday, notably to promote Quebec’s aeronautics industry at the Paris Air Show, the prestigious gathering of manufacturers and constructors in the sector.
He will also participate in Vivatech, a major technology business forum where Canada is in the spotlight this year.
Legault is also expected to meet with French politicians, but details of the talks remain to be formalized.
This mission abroad comes just days after the end of a difficult parliamentary session for the CAQ government and the resignation of Hydro-Québec president Michael Sabia – another blow given the major energy projects the CAQ wants to undertake.
On Friday, in his end-of-parliamentary session report, Legault assured that the economy would “probably” be his “priority for the next year,” which could help erase the setbacks of recent months.
Quebec is in a “mega position” to shine at Le Bourget, it was suggested by Legault’s entourage.
Aerospace is one of Quebec’s industrial flagships, employing more than 35,000 people and exporting nearly $15.5 billion in products in 2024.
However, European countries want to massively increase their military spending, which could represent lucrative opportunities for both the Quebec aeronautics and military sectors, but also for the mining industry and its critical minerals, it is argued.
“We are in a critical mineral boom,” the Legault recently stated, recalling that Quebec has no fewer than 20 of these minerals in its subsoil.
This mission is part of the CAQ government’s desire to free Quebec from its economic dependence on the American market.
The need to diversify Quebec’s export markets, frequently expressed in recent decades, has never been more pressing than since the beginning of 2025, due to the White House’s customs duties and its unpredictable decisions.
In his parliamentary session report on Friday, Legault spoke of facing “the Donald Trump storm,” which has a “certain impact on Canada’s economy.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
