QUEBEC CITY — PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamonton met his most hostile audience “so far” in the United Kingdom during his Europe tour, which officially ends Saturday.
In front of a British audience, he addressed the story of the end of the compulsory oath to King George III to elected members of the National Assembly: His Majesty’s subjects had no mercy for him, he concluded in an interview with The Canadian Press. Saturday.
The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) actually traveled to the United Kingdom to give a speech at Nuffield College, Oxford University, where he once studied.
“I can’t say the reception was warm,” he said, stifling a laugh.
“The most hostile forum I’ve ever met, but still at a high intellectual level, so the questions pointed to criticism of my political activity, but still respectful, intelligent, so it honestly sparked good discussions.”
Inauguration in Scotland
On the other hand, the same issue has sparked a lot of interest and interest in Scotland, a region of the United Kingdom governed by an independent government, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon stopped by during his tour.
Members of the Scottish Parliament must swear an oath to the monarch once they are elected to sit – those elected to the National Assembly must remain until December.
“In Scotland there was an interest in the question of the oath to the king,” explained Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, who gave interviews to three of the four main newspapers in Scotland.
All three representatives of the Parti Québécois (PQ) refused to take the mandatory oath after the October election, so the presidency barred them from sitting until the other parties adopted legislation in December making the oath of office optional.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon thus rejoins the tradition of sovereign leaders like his predecessors René Lévesque and Jacques Parizeau, or the former minister Louise Beaudoin, who worked to create connections with foreign political leaders to prepare an eventual independent recognition. Quebec on the International Stage.
The PQ leader summarized that a “resumption of international presence” was an essential condition for gaining sovereignty.
“We’re integrating partners very quickly for the rest, which means people who are willing to collaborate with us will have time for us in the future, which opens up a lot of possibilities.”
Non-interference, indifference
During his French tour, the Sovereign Head of State met representatives of several parties represented in the National Assembly, as well as former Socialist President François Hollande.
Much has been said about the place of French and French-speaking culture with its interlocutors in France, he said.
He noted the interest in Quebec’s future in Scotland and France, a country with which the people of Quebec, even the independence movement, had long sympathized.
Since 1977, France has on several occasions adopted and affirmed the doctrine of “non-interference, indifference” or in other words “no-no” with respect to Quebec. It will not interfere in the debate on Quebec’s internal politics, but promises to support Quebec’s wishes regardless.
Was the formula used during this task?
“I have not once mentioned this policy,” said Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon said.
“Food trailblazer. Passionate troublemaker. Coffee fanatic. General analyst. Certified creator. Lifelong music expert. Alcohol specialist.”