PQ leader St-Pierre Plamondon points out that Lucien Bouchard is still a sovereigntist

Parti Quebecois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he disagrees with former leader Lucien Bouchard's thoughts on a future Quebec referendum.

Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is not overly concerned about former PQ premier Lucien Bouchard’s call for him to reconsider his promise to hold a referendum during his first term.

He pointed out that despite their differences on the means, the two men share the same goal.

“(Lucien Bouchard) is someone I know well, with whom I have had the opportunity to speak in person on several occasions, and each time, what he tells me — and I have absolutely no doubt about his convictions — is that he wants Quebec independence,” the PQ leader said Thursday in the National Assembly.

St-Pierre Plamondon added that among the Quebec population, “there are differences of opinion on the mechanics, the timing, etc.” and that Bouchard “has a right to his opinion.”

Last week, Bouchard gave an interview on Radio-Canada’s Midi-Info program, in which he said that St-Pierre Plamondon “will have to think seriously before maintaining his commitment to hold a referendum.”

One of the leaders of the Yes camp in 1995, he also pointed out that the two failed referendums had dealt painful blows to the sovereignty movement.

In his view, St-Pierre Plamondon should ask himself whether the public is ready for a referendum and whether there is a reasonable chance that the Yes camp will win.

The comments did nothing to shake the PQ leader.

“As long as we agree on the fundamentals, there may be disagreement on these issues. For reasons I have already expressed to you, we have a course, we have a direction, and it remains,” he said.

The PQ has been riding high in the polls since the end of 2023. St-Pierre Plamondon says that his party will hold a referendum during its first term.

On Thursday, new PQ MNA Alex Boissonneault, who won the by-election in Arthabaska, was sworn in.

When asked how Quebecers could be rallied to the cause of independence, he replied: “First, by saying that it is a wonderful project, that it is a positive project, that it is a project that can be profitable, that it is a project that serves the national interest of the Quebec people.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 28, 2025.