Quebec Sovereignty Movement

The Quebec sovereignty movement (French: Mouvement souverainiste du Québec) refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada. While some historic affiliations to the movement suggested a violent, militarist revolution for the creation of a separate country, most groups seek to use negotiation-based diplomatic interventions, which would eventually lead to Quebec becoming a country. In 2012 the secessionist Parti Québécois was elected to a minority government, with Pauline Marois becoming the first woman to be Premier of Quebec.

In practice, "separatist" and "sovereigntist" are terms used to describe individuals wanting the province of Quebec to separate from Canada to become a country of its own.

Justifications for Quebec's sovereignty include its unique culture and French-speaking majority (80%). Eight of the other Canadian provinces are overwhelmingly (greater than 90%) English-speaking, while New Brunswick is officially bilingual and about one-third Francophone. Another rationale is based on resentment to anti-Quebec sentiment. With regard to the creation of the sovereigntist movement, language issues were but a sub-stratum of larger cultural, social and political differences. Many scholars point to historical events as framing the cause for ongoing support for sovereignty in Quebec, while more contemporary pundits and politicians may point to the aftermath of more recent developments like the Canada Act of 1982, the Meech Lake Accord or the Charlottetown Accord.