Firstly, a referendum is when the government asks citizens to vote for a law or a change to the constitution.
When we think of a referendum in Quebec, we often talk about referendums for sovereignty. If you don't remember, a sovereign state is a self-controlling state. The referendums for the sovereignty of Quebec were therefore aimed at making Quebec a country.
In 1980, René Lévesque called a referendum. Its aim was to obtain political independence for Quebec, but still be linked to Canada economically. So, for example, he wanted Quebec to keep the Canadian dollar. The NO camp won with 59.56% of the votes.
The last referendum for sovereignty dates back to 1995. Jacques Parizeau was the one in power for the Parti Québécois who really believed that the YES would win. Finally, the vote was very close: the NO won with 50.58% of the votes.
There is always the possibility for another referendum in the next few years. If the latter takes place, I advise you to inform yourself to vote in an informed way!
Explanation from Alloprof
This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.
Hello,
Firstly, a referendum is when the government asks citizens to vote for a law or a change to the constitution.
When we think of a referendum in Quebec, we often talk about referendums for sovereignty. If you don't remember, a sovereign state is a self-controlling state. The referendums for the sovereignty of Quebec were therefore aimed at making Quebec a country.
In 1980, René Lévesque called a referendum. Its aim was to obtain political independence for Quebec, but still be linked to Canada economically. So, for example, he wanted Quebec to keep the Canadian dollar. The NO camp won with 59.56% of the votes.
The last referendum for sovereignty dates back to 1995. Jacques Parizeau was the one in power for the Parti Québécois who really believed that the YES would win. Finally, the vote was very close: the NO won with 50.58% of the votes.
There is always the possibility for another referendum in the next few years. If the latter takes place, I advise you to inform yourself to vote in an informed way!