The persistence of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon brings the PQ to a critical point
When he was a teenager, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon went to Denmark and organized a referendum.
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Another exchange student might have preferred to blend
Another exchange student might have preferred to blend into the background at a foreign upper-secondary school thousands of kilometres from home. But at 17 years old, almost as a joke, Paul ran for class president.
He didn’t speak Danish at the time, though
He didn’t speak Danish at the time, though he took pains to learn the language that year, said Nikolaj Callesen, who was a year ahead of him in school. And though his foray into politics may have started as a gag, he took the job seriously. He eventually became student body president and proposed a plebiscite on smoking at the school.
Smoking bans were unheard-of in Denmark at the
Smoking bans were unheard-of in Denmark at the time, according to Mr. Callesen, a member of the family that hosted Paul that year. A self-described hippie with long hair and a heavy smoking habit, he was “very opposed” to the idea, he added.
But Paul defied the odds and the ban
But Paul defied the odds and the ban passed. “No one knew him,” said Mr. Callesen. “And the next day, everyone knew Paul.”
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, now 49 and leading the
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, now 49 and leading the Parti Québécois into a provincial election Oct. 5, told the story of his time in Denmark during a speech in Montreal earlier this year, mostly for the laughs. But in that teenage stunt, it’s hard not to see the outline of the ambitious political operator he would become.
After returning home and voting for independence in
After returning home and voting for independence in the 1995 referendum, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon spent years in search of a vehicle for his talents, taking a winding path that would see him disavow sovereignty before readopting the cause.
Along the way, he authored books, rubbed shoulders
Along the way, he authored books, rubbed shoulders with the federal Liberals and considered the possibility of creating a new political party. Few who knew him as a young man would have guessed he would eventually settle on the sovereigntist PQ as his vessel.
Thirty years after his victory in Denmark, Mr
Thirty years after his victory in Denmark, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon – commonly known as PSPP – has defied the odds once again.
Days ahead of the election, he seems destined
Days ahead of the election, he seems destined to become Quebec’s 34th premier, and could eke out a majority win that would pave the way for him to hold the third referendum on independence he has promised since taking over the party.
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The persistence of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon brings the PQ to a critical point
When he was a teenager, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon went to Denmark and organized a referendum.
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Source: Globe and Mail