Yves-François Blanchet

{{Short description|Canadian politician, leader of the Bloc Québécois (born 1965)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Yves-François Blanchet

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MP|size=100%}}

| image = Yves-François Blanchet Entrevue no smile 2023 (cropped).png

| caption = Blanchet in 2023

| office1 = Leader of the Bloc Québécois

| president1 = Yves Perron

| term_start1 = January 17, 2019

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Mario Beaulieu (interim)

| successor1 =

| office3 = Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks of Quebec

| premier3 = Pauline Marois

| term_start3 = December 4, 2012

| term_end3 = April 23, 2014

| predecessor3 = Daniel Breton

| successor3 = David Heurtel

| riding4 = Beloeil—Chambly

| parliament4 = Canadian

| term_start4 = October 21, 2019

| term_end4 =

| predecessor4 = Matthew Dubé

| successor4 =

| office5 = Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Johnson
{{small|(Drummond; 2008–2012)}}

| term_start5 = December 8, 2008

| term_end5 = April 7, 2014

| predecessor5 = Sébastien Schneeberger

| successor5 = André Lamontagne

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|4|16}}

| birth_place = Drummondville, Quebec, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| profession =

| party = Bloc Québécois (federal)

| otherparty = Parti Québécois (provincial)

| residence = Shawinigan, Quebec{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.ca/res/rep/off/ovr2019app/51/table12E.html|title=Official Voting Results|publisher=Elections Canada|access-date=January 23, 2021|archive-date=April 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424102941/https://www.elections.ca/res/rep/off/ovr2019app/51/table12E.html|url-status=live}}

| spouse = Nancy Déziel

| alma_mater = Université de Montréal (BA)

| footnotes =

}}

Yves-François Blanchet {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MP}} ({{IPA|fr|iv fʁɑ̃swa blɑ̃ʃɛ|lang}}; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) and member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since 2019.

Blanchet was born in Drummondville, Quebec, and graduated from the Université de Montréal. Prior to entering politics he ran an artist management firm and was the president of ADISQ from 2003 to 2006. Blanchet served as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 2008 until his defeat in the 2014 election. He was Quebec's Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from 2012 to 2014 under Premier Pauline Marois.

Blanchet was elected unopposed as leader of the Bloc Québécois in 2019, following Martine Ouellet's resignation the previous year. He was elected to parliament later that year, with the BQ increasing its number of seats from 10 in 2015 to 32 in 2019 and overtaking the New Democratic Party (NDP) to become the House of Commons' third-largest party. At the 2021 election the BQ recorded a marginal increase in vote share and retained all its seats to remain as the third-largest party.

Early life and education

Blanchet was born April 16, 1965, in Drummondville, Quebec, to Pierrette Bédard, a nurse, and Raymond Blanchet, a technician and lineman.{{Cite web|title=Yves-François Blanchet – National Assembly of Québec|url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/blanchet-yves-francois-1123/biographie.html|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=www.assnat.qc.ca|language=en|archive-date=February 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202230124/http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/blanchet-yves-francois-1123/biographie.html|url-status=live}} He is a graduate from the Université de Montréal where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and anthropology in 1987.

Career

Blanchet later worked as a teacher and was a founder of an artist, disc and concert management firm, YFB Inc. while being the president of the ADISQ from 2003 to 2006. He was named the local business personality of the year by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce, while he and associated artists received 10 Félix Awards.

Blanchet was elected to represent the riding of Drummond in the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2008 provincial election. In the 2012 election, he was reelected, this time in Johnson electoral district. A member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Blanchet was Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from 2012 until 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/ministre/inter_en.htm |title=The Minister- Biography |access-date=August 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824143936/http://www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/ministre/inter_en.htm |archive-date=August 24, 2013 }} He was also a member of the Youth National Committee of the Parti Québécois in 1988 as well as a regional director of the PQ. He was defeated by Coalition Avenir Québec candidate André Lamontagne in the 2014 Quebec election.

Prior to becoming leader of the Bloc Québécois, he was a columnist with Le Nouvelliste,{{Cite web |date=November 9, 2018 |title=Shame! Shame! Shame! |url=https://www.lesoleil.com/2018/11/10/shame-shame-shame-7cc18580eb86c7f19fef1f082e797c97 |access-date=June 18, 2022 |website=Le Nouvelliste |language=fr |archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523231117/https://www.lesoleil.com/2018/11/10/shame-shame-shame-7cc18580eb86c7f19fef1f082e797c97/ |url-status=live }} and appeared on the program Les Ex, on ICI RDI.{{Cite web |date=December 23, 2017 |title=Le grand vent se fait attendre |url=https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/2017/12/23/le-grand-vent-se-fait-attendre-e6598a07c1c4b8f12fcbaa86b5d826c4 |access-date=June 18, 2022 |website=Le Nouvelliste |language=fr |archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523231117/https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/2017/12/23/le-grand-vent-se-fait-attendre-e6598a07c1c4b8f12fcbaa86b5d826c4/ |url-status=live }}

=Leader of the Bloc Québécois (2018–present)=

File:Yves-François Blanchet at press conference supporting Bill C-282.png for supply management]]

On November 26, 2018, Blanchet announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois. As no other candidate had entered the race by the time nominations closed on January 15, 2019, Blanchet was officially acclaimed leader on January 17, 2019.{{cite web|date=January 17, 2019|title=Yves-François Blanchet becomes Bloc Québécois leader|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/yves-fran-ois-blanchet-new-bloc-leader-1.4981556|access-date=January 17, 2019|publisher=CBC News|archive-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114025331/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/yves-fran-ois-blanchet-new-bloc-leader-1.4981556|url-status=live}}

Ahead of the 2019 federal election, BQ polling numbers rose to alignment towards those of the popular François Legault-led Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) provincial government.{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6052964/bloc-quebecois-popularity-maxime-bernier/|title=Surge in Bloc Quebecois popularity 'a little bit surprising,' says Maxime Bernier|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=December 1, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225144143/https://globalnews.ca/news/6052964/bloc-quebecois-popularity-maxime-bernier/|url-status=live}} Blanchet won his seat of Beloeil—Chambly. Under Blanchet's leadership, the BQ increased its number of seats from 10 in 2015, to 32 seats in 2019, both overtaking the NDP to become the third-largest party in Canada and regaining official party status.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/big-gains-for-the-bloc-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-but-what-did-it-sacrifice-in-the-process-1.5330056|title=Big gains for the Bloc Québécois, but what did it sacrifice in the process? Social Sharing|last=Montpetit|first=Jonathan|date=October 22, 2019|website=CBC News|access-date=November 30, 2019|archive-date=November 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106164018/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/big-gains-for-the-bloc-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-but-what-did-it-sacrifice-in-the-process-1.5330056|url-status=live}}

In the 2021 snap federal election, the Bloc Québécois led by Blanchet won 32 seats, unchanged from the prior election.{{cite news |last=Connolly |first=Amanda |title=Liberals projected to form minority government |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8206478/canada-election-results-2021/ |access-date=September 20, 2021 |work=Global News |date=September 20, 2021 |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229212410/https://globalnews.ca/news/8206478/canada-election-result |url-status=live }}{{cite news|last=Tasker|first=John Paul|date=September 20, 2021|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-general-election-results-2021-1.6182364|title=Canadians have re-elected a Liberal minority government|agency=CBC|accessdate=September 21, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120075227/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-general-election-results-2021-1.6182364|url-status=live}}

The Bloc Québécois held a leadership confidence vote in May 2023. Blanchet won 97 per cent of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bloc-quebecois-blanchet-vote-of-confidence-1.6850721|title=Blanchet maintains 97% support of Bloc Québécois members in vote of confidence|first=Erika|last=Morris|date=May 20, 2023|website=CBC News|access-date=July 2, 2023|archive-date=July 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702110346/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bloc-quebecois-blanchet-vote-of-confidence-1.6850721|url-status=live}}

According to most opinion polls, Blanchet entered the 2025 federal election in a weaker position than in 2021. This was credited to rising Canadian nationalism among the electorate following the 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico.{{Cite news |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Bloc Quebecois struggling to win voters amid Trump trade war |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/bloc-quebecois-struggling-win-voters-002609217.html |access-date=April 22, 2025 |language=en-CA}}

Personal life

Blanchet married and is now separated from Nancy Déziel.{{Cite news|date=September 18, 2020|title=Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet tests positive for COVID-19|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/blanchet-covid19-positive-bloc-quebecois-1.5729630?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021224119/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/blanchet-covid19-positive-bloc-quebecois-1.5729630?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar|url-status=live}}

Electoral record

=Federal results=

=Provincial results=

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|37,768|98.04}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|755|1.96}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Electors on the lists|57,123|–}}

{{Canadian election result/top|QC|2012|percent=yes|change=yes|collapsed=no}}

|Liberal

|Jacques Sigouin

|align="right"|10,860

|align="right"|32.54

|align="right"|

References

External links

{{Quebec MNA biography|blanchet-yves-francois-1123}}
[http://www.pq.org/les-candidats/yves-francois-blanchet/ Parti Quebecois biopage]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{in lang|fr}}
{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=20087}}

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Category:1965 births

Category:Bloc Québécois MPs

Category:Bloc Québécois leaders

Category:Living people

Category:Parti Québécois MNAs

Category:People from Drummondville

Category:People from Shawinigan

Category:Politicians from Mauricie

Category:Université de Montréal alumni

Category:Members of the Executive Council of Quebec

Category:Critics of multiculturalism

Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada

Category:21st-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec