TORONTO (AP) — The leader of Quebec ’s separatist party said Tuesday he would delay any referendum on independence from Canada until Donald Trump is no longer U.S. president.
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party is out of power but could win Quebec’s next election that must be held by Oct. 5, said a PQ government would still hold a referendum during its first term — but not before Jan. 20, 2029, when Trump’s term ends.
He said a question as consequential as Quebec’s future requires a clear 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,” St-Pierre Plamondon said.
“This unpredictability of the American administration will harm our process as well as the quality of the debate on our future as a nation."
Trump’s tariffs and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have complicated the separatist case in Quebec, fueling Canadian nationalism and prompting some French-speaking Quebecers to see greater security in remaining part of Canada.
Separatist sentiment has also surfaced in Alberta, where voters will decide Oct. 19 whether the province should take steps toward holding a binding referendum on leaving Canada.
Separatist referendums would face an uphill battle in both Quebec and Alberta, with Trump’s tariffs and 51st-state rhetoric strengthening the case for remaining in Canada
“Triggering it while Trump remains in the White House would have been particularly risky,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
“Support for independence in Quebec remains at around 30%, and the fact that the PQ is ahead in the polls is not a sign that support for independence is increasing.”
Quebec voters have twice rejected sovereignty, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.
Quebec, which is about 80% French-speaking, already has significant autonomy. The province of 9.1 million collects its own income tax, has immigration policies favoring French speakers and has laws giving French priority over English.
The Parti Québécois was founded in the 1960s under René Lévesque and has long sought to make Quebec an independent country.
The Parti Québécois has governed Quebec several times without holding a referendum, including during its most recent stint in power from 2012 to 2014.
Quebec’s identity has been contentious since the 1760s, when the British completed their takeover of what was then called New France.
FILE - Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon listens to a question during a University of Calgary School of Public Policy event in Calgary, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 9, 2026--
Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR) today announced the general availability of Extreme Agent ONE™ Coworker, the next generation of agentic AI for enterprise networking. Now available to all Extreme Platform ONE™ customers worldwide as part of their subscription, Agent ONE Coworker scales IT expertise and delivers recommendations rooted in each team’s specific network environment, enabling them to resolve issues up to 15x faster and move from reactive issue resolution to proactive planning and prevention.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909874510/en/
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Availability
Extreme Agent ONE Coworker is available now to all Extreme Platform ONE customers worldwide. Click here to register for the live demo of Extreme Agent ONE on Wednesday, September 23 at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.
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About Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks, Inc. ( EXTR ) is a leader in AI-powered cloud networking, focused on delivering simple and secure solutions that help businesses address challenges and enable connections among devices, applications, and users. We push the boundaries of technology, leveraging the powers of artificial intelligence, analytics, and automation. Tens of thousands of customers globally trust our AI-driven cloud networking solutions and industry-leading support to enable businesses to drive value, foster innovation, and overcome extreme challenges. For more information, visit Extreme's website at www.extremenetworks.com or follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Extreme Networks, Extreme Platform ONE, Extreme Agent ONE, and the Extreme Networks logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. in the United States, and other countries. Other trademarks shown herein are the property of their respective owners.
Extreme Agent ONE Coworker is available now to all Extreme Platform ONE customers worldwide as part of their subscription.
