Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to grant the province special status within a newly formed European alliance. “Today, I am formally asking Mark Carney for Québec to be granted special status within this alliance: a formal seat at the table and direct participation in discussions concerning our own areas of competence and our interests,” Fréchette wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “Québec already holds a distinct position within the OIF and UNESCO. We must secure comparable recognition within this new partnership.” Carney welcomed the “ambition” to become the European Union’s first associate member in an address Thursday to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Although details are still to be determined, Fréchette said she supports Canada’s efforts to rely on other allies and diversify its markets amid an ongoing trade war with the U.S. However, Fréchette emphasized the need for Quebec to be explicitly considered in this alliance, pointing to her efforts to establish relations with the Élysée Palace, Brussels, Bavaria, and several other European partners “Quebec cannot be a mere spectator in this new alliance. We are a distinct nation. We are a reliable and strategic economic partner, particularly in the sectors of clean energy, critical minerals, aerospace, defence and artificial intelligence,” she wrote. “Mark Carney can count on my government to contribute to this alliance. But when it comes to our economy, our energy and our future, Quebec must be at the table.”
