In Canada, a renewed independence push in Alberta is highly unlikely to succeed, but Ottawa will still likely have to confront stronger secessionist pressures in Quebec after elections later this year. On May 4, Stay Free Alberta, a group pushing for the Canadian province of Alberta to secede, announced that it had formally submitted nearly 302,000 signatures, far more than the approximately 178,000 required, to try to trigger a referendum on Albertan independence. Albertan Premier Danielle Smith has previously said that she does not support such a move, but would put the question to a vote if campaigners received enough signatures. In December 2025, Elections Alberta verified over 404,000 signatures submitted by the pro-unity group Forever Canadian; the petition calls for a referendum to make it official provincial policy that Alberta remain part of Canada. If authorities verify that Stay Free Alberta has also met the signature threshold, Albertans could...
