Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced Tuesday that his party will not hold a referendum on Quebec independence as long as Donald Trump remains U.S. president. In a post on X, he said the party wants to avoid having the sovereignty issue "hijacked by the ups and downs of American politics."
The announcement comes ahead of the Quebec provincial election scheduled for October 2026. Plamondon's statement is seen as an attempt to reassure voters that a PQ government would not immediately pursue a referendum, a key concern for many Quebecers.
Plamondon has previously stated that a referendum would only be held when conditions are favorable, and he has emphasized the need to focus on other issues such as the economy and healthcare. The PQ is currently leading in some polls, but the question of sovereignty remains divisive.
Political analysts note that Trump's presidency has created uncertainty in Canada-U.S. relations, and the PQ's decision reflects a desire to avoid complicating matters further. The party has not set a new timeline for a potential referendum.
