The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, declared on Tuesday that the party will refrain from organizing a referendum while U.S. President Donald Trump is in office. St-Pierre Plamondon emphasized the importance of avoiding the influence of American political dynamics on Quebec’s political future discussions. He highlighted the need for a well-informed and composed debate regarding Quebec’s political destiny.
St-Pierre Plamondon underlined the numerous challenges that the upcoming government will confront, making it impractical to prioritize a referendum at this time. He explicitly stated that the party will not consider holding a referendum before the conclusion of Trump’s second term in January 2029.
In the event of his election, St-Pierre Plamondon assured that he would seek input from Quebec residents on the independence issue within his initial term, but only after Trump’s departure from office. This announcement coincides with the impending launch of the Quebec provincial election campaign, scheduled for October 5.
Recent surveys have indicated that only a small percentage of respondents would unequivocally vote for separation in a hypothetical referendum held today. The delay in the referendum plan was met with criticism from Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard, who characterized it as an attempt to manipulate public opinion.
While the Parti Québécois leads in current polls, concerns have been raised about the party’s credibility in light of its shifting stance on independence. Despite this, the party maintains a favorable position in overall voting intentions, surpassing the Quebec Liberal Party and the governing Coalition Avenir Québec according to political analysis by 338Canada.