Quebec’s premier says the province lacks a meaningful voice in Canada’s economic discussions with the European Union, a dispute over federal authority ahead of Thursday and Friday’s Montreal summit.
The Canadian government lists the meeting as a bilateral summit led by Carney, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Its announcement says the broader partnership aims to lower consumer costs, expand export markets for businesses and create opportunities for young people to live, work and study in Canada or the EU. Canada says the summit will build on the New EU-Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future and a Security and Defence Partnership launched in 2025.
Quebec says Ottawa denied St-Pierre Plamondon a speaking role and rejected its request to host a reception during the summit. The Canadian Press reported that the request came from the government of former premier Christine Fréchette on Sept. 15. In a French-language social media post, St-Pierre Plamondon criticized the reception offer, saying it would not give him enough influence to represent Quebec’s interests.
Carney said the premier had been invited to a dinner and declined, and that Ottawa had consulted Quebec three times on its EU talks, The Canadian Press reported. “It’s his decision to leave the chair empty,” Carney said.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Ottawa views the summit as an exercise of its authority over geopolitics, The Canadian Press and TVA Nouvelles reported. Quebec’s position is that EU discussions also affect provincial economic interests, making the proper level of participation part of the dispute.
Quebec has cited its participation in previous Canada-EU trade work. A Global Affairs Canada report lists the Government of Québec among provincial and territorial representatives at a 2018 committee meeting under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The report records participation in that meeting but does not establish the province’s broader role in negotiating CETA.
The leaders are scheduled to meet in Montreal Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29-30.
