Quebec’s separatist leader threatens to play spoiler at Carney’s EU summit

Key Points:

• Quebec’s new separatist government accused the Canadian federal government of excluding the province from the upcoming EU-Canada summit in Montreal, claiming Ottawa barred Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon from addressing the event.
• Quebec Justice Minister Marie-Claude Sarrazin warned that Quebec will assert its sovereignty and have the final say on any agreements affecting its jurisdiction, referencing the 1965 Gérin-Lajoie doctrine on provincial foreign relations.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney denied the exclusion claims, stating Quebec had been consulted multiple times and that St-Pierre Plamondon declined an invitation to the summit dinner, framing the absence as the premier's choice.
• The dispute risks overshadowing the summit, which aims to strengthen EU-Canada relations through agreements on digital trade and critical minerals financing, areas that fall under provincial jurisdiction.
• Despite the political tensions, working-level cooperation between federal and Quebec officials continues, with joint groups established to implement summit outcomes and ongoing talks with the European Investment Bank.