OTTAWA — Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is warning against a potential “Trojan horse” scenario that could arise from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s promised rapprochement with Europe. “There will be something included as part of a package of measures that could prove useful, but it must not be a Trojan horse hiding the export of gas and oil,” Blanchet told reporters north of Ottawa in Cantley, Que., where he had gathered his caucus Sunday. Bloc MPs are preparing for the return of Parliament on Monday, which the Bloc leader referred to as “the mini-return,” pointing to a House of Commons schedule that will see MPs sit for a single week before spending the following one in their ridings ahead of a second return to Ottawa. According to Blanchet, the prospect of Canada forging closer strategic ties with Europe to reduce its dependence on the United States represents “an opportunity to be seized from a Quebec perspective.” “Given our proximity to Europe, our history and our language, we serve as a historic gateway to Europe,” the Bloc leader said regarding Quebec. Blanchet does not expect Ottawa to conclude a new treaty, since the free trade agreement known as CETA has still not been ratified by several members of the European Union. Nor does he believe Canada will see a new “alliance,” even though Carney used that word to tout his plan for closer ties with the EU. Nonetheless, Blanchet suggested there is much to learn from European policies and restrictions. “Measures to protect food quality regarding the use of antibiotics or various growth hormones are much stricter in Europe than in Canada,” he said. “This is a great source of inspiration for a government that is running wild with often-toxic insecticides.” Citing “economic security,” Carney’s government passed legislation earlier this year that authorizes pesticides that had been banned due to environmental risks. Blanchet also criticized the Liberals for backing down on the three-per-cent digital services tax aimed at ensuring tech giants pay their fair share. “Europe is also much closer to implementing policies that protect cultural diversity and the discoverability of content, which the Canadian government has just sacrificed to the big tech companies,” he said. The Bloc Québécois leader said his party has been closely following the Quebec election, set for Oct. 5. If the sovereigntist Parti Québécois comes to power, the Bloc’s role in Ottawa could change. “We know we want as much — and eventually all — power in the hands of the Quebec government,” Blanchet said. “The form this will take will depend on the composition of (the National Assembly),” he said, declining to speculate on the potential outcome. “So we’ll wake up on the morning of the 6th … and see what lies ahead.” The issue of the trade war could also evolve over the course of the fall, Blanchet said. “There will be midterm elections in the United States, which could lead the Americans to do what is their responsibility — that is, to largely address on their own the threat that Donald Trump poses to the U.S. economy as well,” he said. “And that will completely change the game.” Throughout the summer, Bloc members put forward proposals on the trade war, including measures aimed at increasing government aid for businesses hard-hit by U.S. tariffs. The party also devoted much of its energy toward trying — unsuccessfully — to win the Aug. 31 byelection in the Chicoutimi–Le Fjord riding in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Blanchet made several visits to the district, and National Assembly legislators from neighbouring ridings — Mario Simard and Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe — worked virtually full-time on the campaign of the now-defeated candidate, Caroline Dubé. This election race in the former stronghold of Conservative MP Richard Martel — now an independent senator — provided the party with an opportunity to highlight its achievements in preserving supply management. Since then, new waves of tariffs or tariff threats have followed one after another. The Bloc will begin the parliamentary session without one of their own, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, who is running in the provincial election under the banner of the Parti Québécois. A special election in Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, which must be called due to his departure, will tie up the Bloc’s resources. Two other federal special elections will also have to be called in the Montreal ridings of Rosemont-Petite-Patrie and Laurier-Sainte-Marie. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2026. Émilie Bergeron, The Canadian Press
