The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, says a future PQ government would be “very proactive” on the international stage, criticizing the Coalition Avenir Québec for neglecting the file in recent years.
St-Pierre Plamondon was invited by the Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal to present his vision for Quebec in relation to various global issues.
Speaking before a crowd of roughly 350 people Thursday afternoon, the sovereigntist leader reiterated his commitment to double the size of Quebec’s network of foreign offices if elected in October.
During his address, St-Pierre Plamondon accused the CAQ government of failing to prioritize international relations in recent years, leading, for example, to “a slowdown or weakening of our relations with countries like France,” he argued.
“A Parti Québécois government would absolutely be very proactive in diplomacy in general, very, very proactive and I would even say courageous in negotiations that could affect Quebec,” he said on stage during a discussion with Le Devoir political editor Marco Bélair-Cirino, referring to potential trade negotiations with the United States.
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St-Pierre Plamondon accused the CAQ government of being “reactive” during the trade dispute with the United States, saying a PQ government would act more preventively.
The PQ leader argued former premier François Legault had “largely stepped back from international missions, especially diplomatic missions. We saw very few of them.”
About two weeks after becoming premier, Christine Fréchette travelled to Washington last month. This weekend, she is expected to travel to Paris on another mission.
While saying he supports those trips, the PQ leader questioned whether they would produce results.
“It reflects everything else. They are trying to do in a few weeks what they did not do over seven and a half years. And obviously, results cannot simply be invented in a matter of weeks,” he told reporters.
“What I said earlier at CORIM is that international relations are especially useful when tectonic plates are shifting, but they require attention over many years. Relationships are not built overnight,” he added.
‘Promoters of peace’
A PQ government would be “more serious and diligent” in international relations, St-Pierre Plamondon said, adding he would make the issue a personal priority.
“I don’t think we have seen enough over the past eight years of Quebec’s premier taking an active role internationally,” he said in response to questions from Bélair-Cirino.
The sovereigntist leader believes Quebec could better position itself in the European market, pointing to what he described as an “underuse” of the free trade agreement with Europe.
St-Pierre Plamondon also outlined his vision of an independent Quebec on the international stage. He said Quebecers would be called upon to become “promoters of peace” because they do not share a conflict-ridden history with other countries, but also because of their temperament.
“I am convinced we are destined, we are called upon to become builders of peace around the world. (…) When you look at the Scandinavian countries, their level of influence comes from their agility and finesse,” he said, adding Quebec has the qualities needed to exercise “soft power.”
The PQ leader also specified that a sovereign Quebec would be a member of NATO.
“A defence bank would therefore be in very good hands and would always be very welcome in Montreal,” he said.
St-Pierre Plamondon’s conference was part of a CORIM series titled “Québec 2026: The World at the Ballot Box” ahead of the Oct. 5 general election.
Among the next party leaders scheduled to participate, CORIM has so far announced the participation of Ruba Ghazal of Québec solidaire and Charles Milliard of the Parti libéral du Québec.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
