Quebec's separatist Parti Québécois has won the province's election, returning to power for the first time in more than a decade — but fell short of a majority, setting up a minority government that has vowed to hold a third referendum on independence from Canada.
The PQ captured 59 seats in Monday's vote — five short of the 64 needed for a majority in the 127-member National Assembly. The result is a stunning comeback for a party that won just three seats in 2022 and has not governed since 2014.
A Dramatic Comeback
Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, 49, is set to become premier. He has promised to launch a referendum to separate Quebec from Canada — but not before U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the White House in 2029, arguing the current political and economic uncertainty makes this the wrong moment.
"A referendum is an opportunity to decide for ourselves. It's not up to anyone but us, as a people, to decide our national future." — Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, on election night in Montreal
The governing Coalition Avenir Québec, led by Christine Fréchette after François Legault's resignation earlier this year, suffered a devastating collapse — losing every one of its 79 seats. Fréchette even lost her own seat in Trois-Rivières. The Liberals under Charles Milliard won 40 seats to form the official opposition, the Conservatives under Éric Duhaime made a historic entry with 19 seats, and Québec solidaire took 9.
Two Sides of Sovereignty
Supporters of the PQ say the result restores a democratic right: Quebec's francophone majority should be free to choose independence through a vote. At a Montreal watch party, supporters chanted "Quebec, a country" and celebrated what one called the start of "a new chapter in our nation."
But the PQ's victory does not mean most Quebecers support leaving Canada — support for independence remains at about 30 percent, low by historical standards, McGill political scientist Daniel Béland told the Associated Press. Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard was blunt about the referendum pledge: when it comes to a referendum, he said, there will be no collaboration with the Liberals.
Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Plamondon and signaled Ottawa would work with the separatist government. "Building a stronger Québec is core to our mission of building a stronger Canada," Carney said — a diplomatic line that keeps the federal door open while the independence question hangs over his government.
Why It Matters
Quebec held two previous independence referendums, in 1980 and 1995 — both rejected secession, though the 1995 vote was decided by a razor-thin margin. There has been no further referendum in the three decades since. A separatist government in Quebec City now represents a fresh national-unity challenge for Carney, particularly with an independence-related referendum also approaching in Alberta. The sovereignty debate that has defined Canadian politics for half a century is officially back.
Reel music: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Sources: CNN, The Associated Press, Reuters, CTV News, CBC News.