Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon did not attend the opening of the Canada-EU summit in Montreal on Thursday, after a dispute with Ottawa over whether he would be allowed to speak, Global News reports.
The premier said he would not accept being reduced to a spectator, and sent the province's chief diplomat, Pascal Paradis, in his place. He had been offered a seat at the head table at dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, but wanted a formal speaking role.
He also wrote to European representatives saying Quebec had been excluded from talks and questioning whether it would apply new agreements. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said he was still welcome. A former federal foreign affairs adviser, Louis Hamann, said the row was embarrassing and had put European visitors in the middle of a domestic quarrel.
Source: Global News
