Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will not be allowed to speak at this week’s Canada-EU summit, according to the Parti Québécois (PQ).
The summit is set to take place Oct. 29 and 30 in Montreal.
St-Pierre Plamondon wrote in a statement Tuesday that the federal government refused his request to make a speech at the event, despite the fact that it will be held on Quebec soil.
In the statement, which was published on the social media platform X, the Quebec premier accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of disrespecting Quebec and holding a vision of Canada that “directly contradicts the principles defended by our government, specifically the respect for our autonomy and areas of competence.”
St-Pierre Plamondon argued that Ottawa is “refusing to consult Quebec and involve it in the negotiations” with the European Union.
Carney responded to St-Pierre Plamondon’s message, telling reporters on Tuesday afternoon that his government has already held three consultations with Quebec regarding Canada’s agreement with the European Union.
The prime minister added that St-Pierre Plamondon was invited to a dinner at the event, but refused.
“It’s his decision to leave the chair empty,” Carney said.
A source in the federal government also pushed back on St-Pierre Plamondon’s claims, telling Radio-Canada that Ottawa will hold direct discussions with Quebec, and that all provinces will be consulted as negotiations between the two sides progress.
According to the PQ, the federal government also refused Quebec’s request to host a reception on the sidelines of the summit, which it said was made over a month ago by former premier Christine Fréchette.
In a statement released Monday, Quebec’s Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Marie-Claude Sarrazin quoted a phrase from Carney’s lauded speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year: “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”
Sarrazin added that the federal government’s decision shows a “basic lack of respect for Quebec and a denial of the role of our parliament, which reminds us of the need to be in control of our own destiny.”
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Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who is also responsible for economic development for Quebec regions, told Radio-Canada that St-Pierre Plamondon, along with every provincial leader, is invited to attend the event.
Joly also emphasized that this is a federal summit, adding that “we need to make sure we can reach an agreement with the European Union. It’s what Quebecers want. It’s what Canadians want.”
According to a source in the federal government, Quebec was offered an opportunity to welcome foreign dignitaries in Montreal, accompanied by representatives of the federal government, which it refused.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet spoke in defence of St-Pierre Plamondon on Monday afternoon.
“I think all Quebecers are offended by the fact that the premier of Quebec is being told he cannot speak in Quebec,” he told reporters. “‘You’re invited to come, but keep quiet. Above all, don’t speak!'”
Blanchet called on Carney to invite St-Pierre Plamondon to speak at the summit.
“I’ll gently remind Mr. Carney that he doesn’t know much about Quebec and that he doesn’t fully grasp the pride of Quebecers,” he said. “If he wants to avoid more sparks that might burn him, he should pick up the phone, invite Paul, and apologize.”
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Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti echoed in an interview with Radio-Canada that Carney had misjudged the wider cultural significance of not allowing the premier to speak.
“He will be making a symbolic insult by saying that you don’t have the right to speak; that is completely unacceptable,” said Zanetti.
Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime also reacted on Tuesday, telling CBC in a statement that it is “always disheartening to see the federal Liberal government refuse to allow Quebec to take its rightful place.”
Duhaime added that the PQ “must not, in the name of its referendum obsession, sacrifice the interests of Quebecers by choosing to boycott the summit.”
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard told reporters that if he were premier, it never would have crossed his mind to boycott the event.
“Sulking isn’t an option, and we’ve been sulking for two days now,” said Milliard. “I don’t think this is the best start to relations between Quebec and Ottawa.”
This week’s summit comes just over a month after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed creating a path for Canada to become the European Union’s first associate member.
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In the face of tariffs from the United States, Carney has also advocated for a stronger alliance between Canada and the EU, particularly in areas of critical minerals, defence, artifical intelligence and energy security.
In a news release published ahead of the summit this week, the prime minister wrote that in response to a more dangerous and divided world, “Canada and the European Union are building on each other’s strengths — deliberately, systematically, and rapidly — to form a new, ambitious alliance.”
On Monday, St-Pierre Plamondon announced in a social media post that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The premier wrote that he plans to travel to France for a meeting with Macron in the coming weeks, and that their conversation spoke to the “solidarity and natural chemistry between our two nations.”
