Quebec premier announces boycott of Canada-EU summit in Montreal, accuses Ottawa of sidelining the province

Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has announced he will boycott the European Union-Canada summit opening in Montreal on Thursday. In a letter to European leaders, he warned that agreements running counter to Quebec's interests 'will simply not be implemented.'

He confirmed his absence late on Wednesday in an open letter to the European delegation, which he posted on X. The announcement followed two days of public sparring with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over Ottawa's refusal to let him address the summit.

In the letter, written in French, Plamondon said Ottawa had 'decided to sideline Quebec' from the talks. He said this leaves his government with 'neither a chair at the negotiating table nor the opportunity to speak,' even though the summit is on Quebec soil.

He wrote that this dynamic creates uncertainty as to the application of agreements that could be negotiated during the summit. Arguing that under Canada's federal system the provinces implement international agreements falling within their powers, he said a deal against Quebec's interests without its consent would not be implemented.

Plamondon also accused Ottawa of withholding 'critical information' on the negotiations. At the same time, he offered to meet European leaders 'in the near future, in a more opportune context.'

Quebec's chief diplomat, Pascal Paradis, will attend the summit in his place.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that his office had offered the premier the honour of welcoming the Commission president to Montreal and a seat at the head table. 'I hope he will reconsider,' Carney said. On Tuesday, the prime minister had accused Plamondon of choosing to 'leave an empty chair again.'

The row has soured the upbeat mood around the summit, which Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa have billed as a milestone. Leaders will launch an 'Alliance for the Future,' a framework for shared prosperity and economic security.

Plamondon's letter says many of the summit's topics fall under Quebec's responsibility, including health, education and natural resources.

The premier has also pursued his own contacts with European leaders. He spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday and said the two had agreed on a possible meeting in France in the coming weeks.

At working level, ties have held so far, and officials describe the relationship as constructive. Helene Drainville, Quebec's delegate general in Brussels, told Politico last week that Quebec was in talks with the European Investment Bank and the Commission, and that 'all the signals are green.'

Carney, Costa and von der Leyen are due to hold a joint press conference on Friday.