The Parti Québécois has won Quebec’s provincial election, ending eight years of Coalition Avenir Québec government and making PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon the province’s next premier.
The PQ was elected or leading in 59 of Quebec’s 127 ridings as of 10 p.m. EST, compared with 39 for the Quebec Liberals, 19 for the Quebec Conservatives, 10 for Québec solidaire and zero for the CAQ.
The result puts the PQ on track to form a minority government, below the 64 seats needed for a majority. It will need opposition support to survive confidence votes and advance its legislative agenda.
The victory marks a remarkable turnaround for a party reduced to just three seats and 14.6 per cent of the vote in 2022 — its worst seat result since its founding in 1968. The PQ held seven seats at dissolution.
St-Pierre Plamondon campaigned on change after eight years of CAQ government, targeting the cost of living, housing, public services, immigration and what the PQ describes as the decline of French.
“I hope that tomorrow there will be a significant change in direction, and I think that’s what the people of Quebec are expecting,” St-Pierre Plamondon said on the eve of the election. “I believe we are the only ones who can offer that.”
The PQ’s victory puts Quebec sovereignty back on the national agenda, with St-Pierre Plamondon pledging a third referendum after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029.
The prospect of another referendum became a defining campaign issue, with the CAQ, Liberals and Conservatives warning about the economic and political uncertainty it could create.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of democracy,” St-Pierre Plamondon said during the campaign, invoking former PQ premier Jacques Parizeau. “Don’t be afraid of your democracy, of going to the polls, of reflecting on our future.”
“I think these are fundamental messages, the liberty of a people and democracy,” he added.
But support for independence lagged well behind the PQ, with roughly 30 per cent of Quebecers backing separation, according to Reuters.
St-Pierre Plamondon also sought to distinguish electing a PQ government from supporting independence.
“In my mind, it is very clear that once the election is over, if people give you the mandate to be premier, you have a moral obligation to be the premier for absolutely everyone,” he said during the final days of the campaign.
While the PQ returned to power, the election delivered a dramatic collapse for the CAQ. The party went into the election with 79 seats but was not elected or leading in a single riding as of 10 p.m.
The Quebec Conservatives, meanwhile, were elected or leading in 20 ridings after holding just one seat at dissolution, dramatically expanding their presence under Éric Duhaime.
The Quebec Liberals, led by Charles Milliard, were elected or leading in 38 ridings after campaigning as the province’s principal federalist party.
St-Pierre Plamondon’s victory also means Prime Minister Mark Carney will face a sovereigntist government in Quebec City whose stated goal is Quebec independence.
Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon on his victory and said he looked forward to working with the incoming PQ government.
“Building a stronger Quebec is at the heart of our mission to build a stronger Canada,” Carney said.
“I look forward to working with you to support Quebec businesses and workers affected by tariffs, to create better jobs, to combat homelessness, and to help build more housing throughout Quebec.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon and praised Duhaime, a friend of more than 25 years, for achieving “historic gains.”
“The federal Conservatives will work with all members of the National Assembly to lower the cost of living, protect our jobs, ensure the safety of our communities, reform our immigration system, and put Canada first,” Poilievre said.
Without a majority, this is a lame duck incoming government. PQ will fall to a non-confidence vote the second they try pushing through separation legislation, or any other crazy discriminatory policy.