'Don't take anything for granted' when it comes to Quebec's appetite for a referendum
Former Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez warns that the possibility of a sovereignty referendum should not be dismissed despite recent election results. He emphasizes that political momentum in Quebec can shift rapidly, citing the historical context of the 1995 referendum.
Why it matters
Understanding the potential for renewed independence movements in Quebec is critical for Canadian national stability and political forecasting.
at 6:00 a.m. After the Parti Québécois won a minority government on Monday with only 28 per cent of the popular vote, some political commentators have downplayed the chances of a sovereignty referendum in Quebec.
Pablo Rodriguez has some qualms with this assessment — if history is any indication, the temperature can change swiftly when it comes to Quebec independence.
“That thing, the referendum, went from the project of a political party with limited means to the project and the mandate of the government of Quebec,” Rodriguez said, referring to the momentum of Quebec’s independence movement in the 1990s. “We almost lost a country in 1995.”
“I’m not sure we’re going to have a referendum, but don’t take anything for granted,” Rodriguez told hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand in this week’s episode of The Corner Booth.
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