NewzParti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon celebrates his victory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (AFP pic)MONTREAL: Separatists won provincial elections in Quebec on Monday, with a promise to hold a vote on leaving Canada after US president Donald Trump leaves office, testing prime minister Mark Carney's message of national unity.However, the Parti Quebecois (PQ) fell short of a majority government in Canada's French-speaking province, offering some solace for the federalist camp.The PQ win still upends Canada's political landscape as the country confronts a trade war and annexation threats leveled by the US.It also comes just two weeks before Canada's oil-producing province of Alberta, an economic powerhouse, holds a vote on whether it wants to begin the process of leaving Canada.The results make PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, a 49-year-old lawyer known by his initials PSPP, Quebec's next premier.At a jubilant victory party in Montreal, he invoked "the courageous struggle" francophones have endured in a part of the world increasingly dominated by English speakers.That struggle "will find meaning when (francophones) obtain their own country," he said."We deserve it," he added, calling a referendum a chance "to decide what our national future will be," he added.Independence after Trump?Carney congratulated PSPP, saying that "building a stronger Quebec is core to our mission of building a stronger Canada".The prime minister is popular in Quebec, and the separatist win was not seen as a repudiation of his stance toward Trump, whose confrontational policies have infuriated Canadians.Instead, the PQ's rise after more than a decade in opposition has been tied to frustration over affordability and an enduring desire to protect the French language in a majority anglophone country.Surveys suggest that only about 30% of Quebecers want independence, but PSPP has maintained he will call a referendum on leaving Canada, just not while Trump is in office.He has said a decision on Quebec's independence "requires conditions that allow for an informed and calm debate."That shouldn't be "hijacked by the theatrics of an unpredictable president," he added, ruling out a referendum until at least 2029.Quebec has held two previous votes on leaving Canada. Federalists won comfortably in 1980, but the 1995 result was excruciatingly close, with just 50.58% voting to stay in C…
Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon vows a future referendum on independence from Canada. Parti Quebecois returns to power, promising a third referendum on Quebec's independence from Canada.
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