Pauline Marois, former Prime Minister of Quebec, Receives the 2025 Coppieters Award

On 18 September 2025, Coppieters Foundation recognised Pauline Marois with the Coppieters award at an official event in Quebec.

The event brought together a diverse audience of public figures, civil society actors, scholars and political leaders from both Québec and Europe to celebrate shared values expressed through the life and legacy of a woman who has left an incredible mark on her society through her  commitment to democracy, social justice, and the right to self-determination.

During the ceremony, the speeches by Professor Daniel Turp, President of the research institute IRAI , and Vicent Marzà, Member of the European Parliament for the Greens/EFA group reflected the key themes that have guided Pauline Marois’ political journey: her enduring commitment to equality, democracy, and the right of nations to define their own future.

Antonia Luciani, President of the Coppieters Foundation, delivered a powerful tribute to Pauline Marois.

She described her as “a stateswoman, a pioneer, a role model for generations.” Luciani highlighted  Marois’ exceptional institutional career and her transformative impact on Québec society.

“She combined management expertise with a political vision focused on emancipation and collective welfare” said Luciani. “In strengthening Québec’s public services and defending its cultural identity, she preserved the distinct character of her people, its language, and its future.” for Luciani this represents a modern vision of sovereignty, as a tool for democratic responsibility and solidarity.

“Québec does not ask permission to exist. It speaks. It acts. And it wants to contribute to the shared destiny of humanity.” These powerful words from Pauline Marois, former Premier of Québec, set the tone for a heartfelt and historic moment at the Coppieters Awards 2025 ceremony, held at the Library of the National Assembly of Québec.

“Receiving the Coppieters Prize is a great honour,” said Pauline Marois in her acceptance speech. “But I do not receive it alone. It belongs to all those who, throughout our history, stood firm and fought for Québec to be master of its own destiny.” Her words were met with a heartfelt applause, capturing the emotional depth of a moment that symbolised recognition and continuity.

In her speech, she reaffirmed her belief that the right to self-determination, enshrined in the UN Charter and other international instruments, remains a relevant issue in today’s world: “In a world shaken by climate, technological and geopolitical crises, peoples must be free to choose their responses based on their values, their priorities, their worldview.” she argued.

For Marois, Québec is a forward-looking nation with something essential to contribute to the global  agenda. She highlighted landmark policies implemented under her leadership: affordable public childcare, public health services, accessible education, and inclusive economic development through Québec’s own institutions. To her, these represent more than social achievements, they are pillars of a modern, sovereign society. “A people who take their future into their own hands do so to improve the lives of their citizens,” she said.

Her reflections were deeply personal as well. She recalled her modest upbringing, the generosity of her parents, and the centrality of education in her family’s values. Her story — of a young woman from a rural background rising to the highest office in Québec — resonated with a broader message: that social justice begins in the everyday, and sovereignty is a lived reality.

About Pauline Marois

Pauline Marois was the first woman to become Premier of Québec, breaking through the highest symbolic and institutional glass ceiling in 2012. This milestone is part of a much larger political legacy. Over three decades, she held 14 ministerial portfolios — including Education, Health, Finance, Culture, and the Status of Women — a record that speaks to her versatility, tenacity, and public leadership.

As a key figure in the 1995 independence referendum, she championed the sovereignity movement with courage and clarity. During her years at the front of the Parti Québécois (2007–2014), she navigated complex political challenges while maintaining a consistent and democratic vision of national emancipation. For Marois, sovereignty was never about exclusion, but about empowerment. “Claiming independence,” she said, “has never been about turning inward. It is a way to fully take our place in the world.”

Even after retiring from active politics, Pauline Marois continued to serve the public good. She chaired the Fondation de la langue française from 2019 to 2022 and, in 2024, became the first woman to be appointed Chancellor of the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Her long-standing defence of language rights, educational equity, and cultural distinctiveness continues to inspire.

About the Coppieters awards

Held each year, the Coppieters Awards are an initiative of the Coppieters Foundation to honour individuals and organisations that, like Maurits Coppieters himself used to, stand for the defence of cultural and linguistic diversity, inter-cultural dialogue, self-determination, the rights of minorities, peace, democracy and a united Europe.

The main objective of the Coppieters Awards is to give recognition to individuals and organisations that have successfully managed to find innovative ways to advocate for and embody these values.

The jury of the Coppieters Awards is composed of an international and interdisciplinary group of experts, including academics, lawyers, linguists, economists, historians, geographers, political scentists, sociologists, as well as specialists in international relations.

This year’s Coppieters Award was also part of a wider mission to Québec, marking the Foundation’s first official activities outside Europe. A few days before the ceremony, the Coppieters Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IRAI, opening new pathways for research and cooperation between Québec and European nations seeking greater autonomy.

“Our presence in Québec is a testament to the global relevance of these issues,” said Luciani. “In a time of increasing centralisation and democratic fatigue, the Québec model reminds us that self-government can go hand-in-hand with inclusion, creativity, and social justice.”

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This award and the Coppieters Foundation is financially supported by the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not liable for the content of the event nor for the opinions of the speakers at the awards ceremony.

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