The fruit is ripe for François Legault to make a sovereignist profession of faith, according to PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The “appetite for sovereignty” is not there, replied the Prime Minister on Thursday.
According to the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), the time to achieve independence is running out. By refusing “three times in 48 hours” to entrust more power to Quebec in matters of immigration, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, sent a clear message to his Quebec counterpart, analyzed Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon during a press briefing at the Parliament Building on Thursday.
“The Premier of Quebec says: it’s a question of survival for the future of our nation,” said the leader of the Parti Québécois. I think it’s a call to duty, which I launch to François Legault. »
“You have predecessors, Mr. Legault, who dared to say: ‘If you don’t give us fair treatment, it will be our freedom, our independence.’ I ask that François Legault name this possibility, ”he continued.
Accosted before his arrival at the Blue Salon, François Legault repeated the position he has maintained since coming to power in 2018. “I am a nationalist”, he told journalists, the day after the inauguration in his presence. a statue of former PQ Premier Jacques Parizeau. The Prime Minister applied himself to framing the program of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) within Canadian federalism.
“First you have to make a distinction. We are a nationalist party, within Canada. Nationalist, what does that mean? Among other things, promoting and protecting French. Mr. Legault declared that Quebec public opinion is not interested in the sovereignist project. “Me, I want to be a nationalist within Canada. There is no appetite for sovereignty. »
The CAQ brings together separatist and federalist deputies. Asked about their positions on Tuesday, a dozen elected officials contented themselves with making a plea in favor of “nationalism”. However, according to the member for Chauveau, Sylvain Lévesque, sovereignty, “it is not in the ropes of the CAQ”.
Will it soon be too late? Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was content to nod his head on Tuesday. “By dint of repeating to Quebecers that they are not good, that they are not capable, at some point, it has an impact,” he said, visibly taken by emotion.
Further details will follow.