Blanchet: Appetite for sovereignty will return ‘greedily’

The appetite for Quebec independence will “come roaring back” when the political and trade environment with the United States becomes stable again, suggested Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet on Thursday.

At a press conference in Quebec City, with a federal election expected in the next few weeks, the Bloc leader felt that the current volatility of the electorate would ultimately benefit him once the new Carney government had to prove itself.

The latest Léger poll released on Wednesday for The Canadian Press suggests that Blanchet’s sovereignist party is down to 25 per cent support, in favour of the Liberals, from a high of 37 per cent in January.

Another opinion poll by the same firm in early February suggested 29 per cent support for the independence option, a five-year low.

This is normal in the current context, according to Blanchet, who calls for a step back.

Donald Trump’s “aggressive rhetoric” and “tactics” are designed to instill fear and weaken his negotiating partner, he argued.

But “significant concerns for the US economy” will force the White House to change its tone, and once negotiations leading to a new free trade agreement are concluded in a year or 18 months, the environment will be stable again.

“The next day, the appetite [for sovereignty] will return with a vengeance,” believes Mr Blanchet.

“Once things are stable and we know where we stand in the longer term, Quebecers will naturally start thinking about sovereignty again.”

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews