The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, made it known on Tuesday that the party will refrain from initiating a referendum while Donald Trump remains the U.S. President. St-Pierre Plamondon emphasized the importance of ensuring that the debate around Quebec’s political future is not influenced by American politics. He stated that the focus should be on addressing the challenges facing the next government without the distraction of a referendum. St-Pierre Plamondon clarified that the party will not consider holding a referendum until after Trump’s second term concludes in January 2029.
If elected, St-Pierre Plamondon intends to consult Quebecers on the matter of independence in his first term but only after Trump’s departure from office. This announcement was made shortly before the official launch of the Quebec provincial election campaign, scheduled for October 5.
Recent polling data showed that only a small percentage of respondents would definitively vote to leave in a referendum held today. The Quebec Liberal Party Leader, Charles Milliard, criticized the PQ’s decision, describing it as an attempt to manipulate public opinion and labeling the party as indecisive. The leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Éric Duhaime, questioned the PQ’s credibility following the sudden change in stance on independence.
Despite the controversy surrounding the decision, the Parti Québécois leads in overall voting intentions according to political analysis by 338Canada, positioning them ahead of other major political parties in Quebec.