Parti Quebecois Wins Quebec Provincial Election Without Majority

The separatist Parti Québécois won the provincial election in Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, returning to power for the first time in over a decade. The party secured 59 seats in the 127-member National Assembly, falling five seats short of an absolute majority.

The outcome requires party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to establish a minority administration. He will need backing from opposition parties to approve provincial budgets and pass legislation. St-Pierre Plamondon addressed anglophone residents on election night, stating that he intends to serve as premier for everyone across the province.

St-Pierre Plamondon reaffirmed his promise to hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty during his four-year mandate. However, he stated he will not organize a vote while U.S. President Donald Trump is in office. He noted that American tariffs and cross-border tensions create an unstable environment that prevents calm debate before 2029.

The Parti Québécois captured approximately 28 percent of the popular vote, capitalizing on divided support among rival parties. The victory marks a turnaround from the 2022 provincial election, when the party won just three seats. The Quebec Liberal Party finished in second place with 40 seats, up from 19.

The governing Coalition Avenir Québec, led into the election by Premier Christine Fréchette, failed to win a single seat. The party had won 90 seats in 2022 under former Premier François Legault. Fréchette conceded defeat, noting that she gave everything she could during her tenure.

Public opinion polling shows support for separation remains at about 30 percent across Quebec. Voters rejected independence in earlier referendums held in 1980 and 1995. In the 1995 vote, federalists won narrowly with 50.6 percent backing retention of ties with Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon following the vote. Carney said a stronger Quebec remains essential to a stronger Canada. St-Pierre Plamondon said he will defend provincial jurisdiction, oppose federal immigration targets, and attempt to abolish provincial funding for the monarchy's lieutenant governor.

Opposition lawmakers have promised resistance to sovereignty planning. Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard told reporters that his party will directly oppose any bills that fund referendum preparations. To begin research, the Parti Québécois pledged 20 million Canadian dollars during its initial years in office.

St-Pierre Plamondon will formally take power and name his cabinet in Quebec City in the coming days. Later this month, the western province of Alberta is scheduled to hold a non-binding referendum on starting its own process to depart the federation.