Pierre Karl Pladeau quits as Parti Qubcois leader

Pierre KarlPladeauhas announced he is resigningas head of theParti Qubcois, less than a year after being elected leader of thesovereignistparty.

Pladeautold a news conference in Montreal on Monday hemade the decision forfamily reasons.

"I had to make a difficultchoice between my family and our political project," he said in a brief speech. "I chose my family."

• ONE YEAR AGO:Pierre KarlPladeauelected leader ofPartiQubcois
• ANALYSIS|Pladeau's timid reign at helm of Parti Qubcois reflected party's identity crisis
• Relive key moments in PKP's short-lived political career

Pladeaumarried Julie Snyder, his longtime girlfriend and a popularQuebectelevisionproducer and host, in astar-studded weddinglast August.The couple announcedthey were separating in January.

"I make this decision for the well-being of my children," he said."I must, for them, remain a good example."

Pladeausaid he will also step down as the PQmember of the National Assembly forSaint-Jrme, meaning an end to his briefforay into politics for one of the mostpowerful business people in the province.He metwith his caucus to inform them of his decision ahead of the announcement.

Despite a series of recent setbacks and allegations of corruption againstthe ruling Quebec Liberals,Pladeau'sPQ had failed to gain traction in the polls.

A promise to 'make Quebec a country'

TheQuebecormedia baronbarrelledintopolitics as a star candidate underthenPQleader PaulineMaroisin2014,famously declaring, with the thrust of his fist, he would "make Quebec a country."

Following a disappointing result in the 2014 election, which saw the Liberals regain power with a majority,Marois resigned andPladeautook over a year later, on May 15, 2015, winning with57.6 per cent of the vote.

• 'We want to have and enjoy our own country,' new PQ Leader Pladeau says

After taking the leadership, his first words were that he would settle for nothing less than an independent Quebec.

Much of the leadership campaign and the past year havefocused onhissteadfast refusal to sell his shares in Quebecor, the conglomerate in which he remains the controlling shareholder.

The resignation comes following an especiallytumultuous period forPladeau, but few saw the announcement coming.

"I was very in favour of his politics and commitment and I was supporting him," former Quebecpremier and PQ leader Bernard Landry said."And I was saddened and surprised."

Last week,Pladeauannounced that hischief of staff, PierreDuchesne, would berelieved of his duties.He was demoted to an adviser role.

A week earlier,Pladeaucalled onsovereignistforces, including rival QubecSolidaire,to come together in the hopes of making Quebec a country.

A blow to PQ hopes

Michel David, a political columnist for Montreal's LeDevoirnewspaper, said theresignation comes as a surprise, even if the PQ has not done as well as anticipated underPladeau.

David said the moverepresentsanother blow to the party, which has a history of bringing down its leaders.

• Pauline Marois loses seat, Parti Qubcois loses power
• ANALYSIS|Pierre Karl Pladeau tries to move from star power to substance

"I am astonished as everyone else is, I guess. Nobody had seen that coming, whether inside the party or outside the party," he said.

David said Pladeau's hope to unite thesovereignistranks washampered by his own reputation as a union buster with Quebecor, something that did not sit well with the social-democratic partyQubecSolidaire and left-wing members of the PQ.

Pladeausaid Monday he's hopeful unity within thesovereignistranks can stillhappen.He ended his news conference by saying he will remain an active member of the PQ.

"I am convinced that the future of Quebec andQuebecerslies in the independence of our nation," he said.

FranoiseDavid fromQubecSolidaire said it was too early to say whether her party and the PQ would join forces in the wake of Pladeau's sudden resignation.

"Iadmit, really, it's a real surprise for us today," David said."It must have been a very difficult choice for Mr. Pladeau and we respect his decision."

• ANALYSIS|Pladeau'stimid reign at helm ofPartiQubcoisreflected party's identity crisis

Quebec Premier PhilippeCouillard saidhe wassaddened by Pladeau's resignation and that while they don't share the same political views, Pladeauworked hard to further Quebec.

"The decision he made today is the fruits of a painful reflection that led him to choose his family before his political ambitions," Couillardsaid in a statement.

"The well-being of our loved ones andof our children are most precious to us."

Family strain

Pladeauhas two children with Snyder,Thomas, 10, andRomy,7. He has another child from an earlier marriage,Marie,16.

• 'Pierre Karl was my country': Julie Snyder's interview on Pladeau, marriage and politics

His resignation comes a day after an interview with Snyder on Radio-Canada'spopular French talk showTout lemondeenparle, in which she discussed sacrificesshe had to make whenPladeauenteredthe political arena.

"There is certainly a link to the extraordinary interview that Julie Snyder gave yesterday,"FranoisGendron, a PQ member of the National Assembly, told Radio-Canada.

When asked by the show'shost,GuyA.Lepage,about being in divorcemediation,Snyder replied that it was a challenge, saying they were trying to be respectful of one another during a difficult time.

"Our children learn a lot by example," she said, in a statement echoed byPladeau a day later.

"I hope we can be good examples."