PQ rules out Quebec sovereignty referendum while Trump is president
Posted August 18, 2026 7:47 am.
Last Updated August 18, 2026 5:14 pm.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says a PQ government would not hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty while Donald Trump is president of the United States.
The 49-year-old party leader made the announcement on social media early Tuesday, saying he wants to remove concerns that Trump’s presidency would make a sovereignty referendum particularly risky.
“I have chosen to completely defuse the argument that this would be the worst possible time to reflect on our future because of Trump,” St-Pierre Plamondon said, adding that the decision would allow the PQ to focus its campaign on its proposals for Quebec rather than what he called “fear-mongering.”
Daniel Tran, director of communications and governmental relations at CASACOM, said the announcement was a way for St-Pierre Plamondon to address concerns about the current geopolitical and economic climate.
“Up until now, people were wondering, especially with the economic context, how were people going to be able to position themselves, position Quebec, especially with that geopolitical risk,” Tran said.
Although he had already addressed the subject in the past, St-Pierre Plamondon had never formally stated the precise timing of a referendum.
“It’s a big move for the Parti Québécois and Paul St-Pierre Plamondon,” Tran said. “Today, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon decided to rip the Band-Aid, talk to Quebecers, remind them that ultimately, he’s there to govern, he’s there to assist all the Quebecers for the next steps.”
He argued that “an issue as crucial as the political future of Quebec requires conditions that allow for an informed and calm debate.”
“It must not be hijacked by the upheavals of American politics, nor by the outbursts of an unpredictable president, nor by fear campaigns,” he wrote.
St-Pierre Plamondon said a PQ government would not hold a referendum before Jan. 20, 2029, when Trump’s current presidential term is scheduled to end.
Tran said the announcement does not mean the PQ is abandoning its plan for a referendum.
“Once he is out of office, based on the conversation that I’ve been able to have with his team, his project to hold a referendum is still on the table,” Tran said.
He said the PQ would first pursue a provisional constitution and public consultations across Quebec before holding a referendum.
“So therefore, the first step would be to have a provisional constitution where he will have public consultations throughout Quebec, and once that’s done, have the referendum,” Tran said.
With this stance, the PQ leader believes he is “completely defusing the argument that this is the worst time to think about our future because of Trump.”
The announcement comes as support for Quebec sovereignty remains relatively low, while the PQ continues to lead the provincial polls. Recent voting-intention numbers put support for the party at around 30 per cent.
“It’s really like neck-to-neck and a lot of people, based on the Léger polls that we had a couple of days ago, 49 per cent of people were still undecided,” Tran said. “A lot of things can change.”
The move drew criticism from Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard, who said St-Pierre Plamondon was trying to make Quebecers forget what he is proposing.
“In other words, he has just admitted that his plan is too risky for Quebec,” Milliard said in a statement, “yet he refuses to drop it.”
Premier Christine Fréchette also reacted Tuesday, criticizing the timing proposed by the PQ leader.
“He’s proposing to organize it at the end of a first mandate, which is worse because if you organize a referendum at the beginning of a PQ mandate, at least after one or two years, you’re set, you know if it’s a yes or no for a referendum,” Fréchette said. “If you organize it at the end, you have uncertainty for four years.”
The announcement also drew mixed reactions from Quebecers.
Dominique Moirod said the decision was reassuring.
“Yes, we can certainly be reassured,” Moirod said. “Because I am against independence. And now is not the time to break away, especially with Donald Trump next door, who throws a lot of spanners in the works.”
Mia Beland said Trump’s decisions have made the timing of a potential referendum more complicated.
“When everything in the world is just so dependent on one man’s decision, I get it,” Beland said. “I mean, everything this man says has a lot of impact on everyone.”
Marco Del Chiappa said the sovereignty project should be abandoned altogether.
“What I make of it is that the whole thing should be scrapped,” he said. “People should understand that we’re stronger united than divided.”
—With files from The Canadian Press, first published in French and translated by CityNews
