Convinced that a government led by the Parti Québécois would help warm up Franco-Quebec relations, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon expects France to be actively involved in Quebec’s accession to sovereignty.
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After a visit to Ottawa, the Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, will deliver a speech on Thursday to Quebec deputies in the National Assembly of Quebec.
Expectations are high in the independence ranks for this young 35-year-old politician recently appointed by President Macron.
“Quebec needs France and we ask France to support us in our choices, because these choices are coming, they are coming quickly,” says the PQ leader, in an interview with our Parliamentary Office.
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Leading the polls, PSPP recalls that it promises to hold a referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec in a first mandate, if it takes power in the 2026 elections.
“In the event of a winning referendum”, the independence leader not only wants France to recognize “our existence and our self-determination as a nation”, but that it also plays a unique role through its historical, cultural and linguistic links with Quebec.
“France, the day after a Yes vote, could for example have an active involvement in our process of gaining independence by using its great power influence to convince other countries in the world that our cause is democratic, legitimate and that they too should recognize us.”
The “neither…nor…”
The PQ leader, who will only be able to speak for a few minutes with the French Prime Minister, wants Gabriel Attal to clearly display the traditional French position of “non-interference, non-indifference” with regard to La Belle Province.
A custom denied by former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who even attacked the sovereignist movement.
Over the last fifteen years, the “natural chemistry” between Quebec and French “cousins” has diminished, notes PSPP.
Between now and the next electoral meeting, he expects that the “federalists” Justin Trudeau and François Legault will continue to “tamper” the strength of this precious friendship between the two peoples.
The CAQ has put diplomacy with France on the “service route” to focus solely on trade. But PSPP promises that the return of a PQ government will mark the return of this privileged relationship.
Since 2022, he has already visited France and promises to go there again before the next election.
France is not known for being very sensitive to the struggles of small, non-sovereign nations, whether we think of Corsica, Brittany or even Catalonia. Why would it be more so for Quebec?
“Because we have defined borders, we have been a state for moons and we are their cousins, it’s because we jump into each other’s arms when we see each other, it’s more than friendship, We love each other!” retorts the PQ leader.
A “right-wing government”
If Quebecers one day choose independence, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois also expects France to recognize the country of Quebec.
The parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire would have liked to have more time with the representative of France, even if his political party is not in line with all the orientations of the Macron government, a “right-wing government”.
But as a separatist, GND believes that it is important to maintain good relations with France.
“There have always been expectations that the French government would recognize the democratic choice of the Quebec people. These expectations still exist and France has already had positions which suggested this possibility,” he said on Wednesday in a press scrum at the National Assembly.