The separatist Parti Québécois has returned to power in the Canadian province for the first time in more than a decade, after initial projections showed it winning Monday's election but falling short of the majority needed to govern alone.
Minority government without a parliamentary majority
Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to hold a new referendum on Quebec's independence from Canada, while acknowledging the need to co-operate with opposition parties. As the final votes continued to be counted, the party was on course to win about 60 seats in Quebec's 127-member National Assembly.
That result is below the 64-seat threshold required for a majority, meaning the party will lead a minority government dependent on support from members of other parties to pass key legislation and remain in power during confidence votes. St-Pierre Plamondon acknowledged that voters had not given his party a mandate to govern alone, saying: “Quebecers elected the Parti Québécois and asked it to work with the other parties, and I have understood that message.”
Party revives independence referendum pledge
The result leaves the party having to combine the management of a minority government with an effort to put the province's independence back at the centre of political debate. The party leader renewed his pledge to organise another referendum on independence, but said he would wait until US President Donald Trump leaves office.
If held, the vote would be the third referendum of its kind in the province's history, following two previous referendums held in 1980 and 1995. St-Pierre Plamondon described independence as essential to preserving the identity of French-speaking Quebec, calling it “a matter of survival” for French-speaking people who make up only a small part of North America's population.
He said Quebec “only wants to exist as an independent entity like the other countries of the world”, and that the referendum would give its people the chance to decide their future for themselves. At the same time, the party leader sought to reassure Canadians living outside the province about the implications of his political project, saying: “The independence project is not intended to exclude you. Quebec will never change its geographical location, so it is in our interest to work together.”
Pledges to end funding for Crown representative
St-Pierre Plamondon also pledged to “abolish the monarchy” in Quebec, referring to ending funding for the British Crown's representative in the province, although her role, including giving assent to Quebec laws, is set out in the Canadian constitution. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth, and King Charles III is its head of state.
The party leader criticised the arrangement, describing it as “a costly farce”, and said he wanted to redirect the resources used to fund the Crown representative towards efforts to reduce homelessness. The pledge adds another constitutional issue to the party's programme, alongside its plan to put the question of sovereignty to voters again. The Parti Québécois's return to government does not mean that a majority of the province's population supports separation from Canada.
Election does not reflect an immediate rise in support for independence
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University, said the election result reflected the nature of Quebec's multi-party system, in which support is divided among several parties, rather than an increase in support for independence. He added that support for sovereignty remained at a historically low level of about 30%.
The party is expected to face opposition from the Liberal and Conservative parties, whose leaders have said they will oppose any attempt to organise a sovereignty referendum. Meanwhile, Québec solidaire, another pro-independence party, could play a decisive role on the issue, potentially supporting the Parti Québécois in holding the referendum.
The separatists' return to power poses a challenge to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, at a time when there are no signs of a settlement to the trade dispute with Washington and as he faces other separatist tendencies in the oil-rich province of Alberta. Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon and indicated that the federal government in Ottawa was ready to work with the incoming Quebec government.
Carney said: “Building a stronger Quebec is a key pillar of our mission to build a stronger Canada.” He added that the two governments would work together to support businesses and workers affected by US tariffs, as well as to create jobs and build housing. Quebec already enjoys a broad degree of autonomy and has a population of 9.1 million, about 80% of whom speak French.
The provincial government collects its own income tax, applies immigration policies that prioritise French speakers, and enacts laws giving French priority over English.
The Quebec election results come two weeks before a scheduled vote in Alberta on 19 October, when residents will decide whether to hold a referendum on separation from Canada, putting the federal government before two simultaneous debates over the country's unity and the future relationship between Ottawa and the provinces.
