The past year should have been a troubling one for those concerned about national unity. Quebec's staunchly federalist Premier, Jean Charest, is on the ropes, and his Liberal party offers no inspiring replacement. A victory by the separatist Parti Quebecois in the next provincial election is increasingly likely. The PQ's federal counterpart, the Bloc Quebecois, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first electoral victory and is solidly anchored in Ottawa. Opinion polls consistently place the Bloc as the runaway choice of French-speaking Quebecers.
