Separatists win Quebec election but vow to wait on referendum

MONTREAL (CN) — The separatist Parti Québécois won a provincial election in Quebec Monday night, promising to hold a referendum on independence from Canada despite falling short of a governing majority.For the first time since 2014, the separatist party will head the National Assembly in Quebec City, with leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon as premier, complicating the unity of a Canadian government facing a trade war with the United States.The PQ won 28% of the vote, the lowest for a governing party in the French-speaking province’s history, and garnered 59 seats, five short of the 64 needed to form a majority government. The result — a significant jump from the three seats it won in 2022 — means the PQ will have to work alongside other parties to govern.As the 49-year-old St-Pierre Plamondon thanked supporters Monday night, the crowd burst into the province’s unofficial hymn, “Gens du pays.”The new premier — who was elected to lead his party in 2020 and has represented Eastern Montreal since 2022 — promised to represent “all Quebecers, without exception.” He gave part of his address in English, though Quebec’s only official language is French.The question of self-determination was prominent, though Quebec will have to wait until at least 2028 to vote on the matter. St-Pierre Plamondon said he would hold off on a referendum until U.S. President Donald Trump is out of office.“It is up to none other than us, as a people, to decide our national future, and it is only natural to ask ourselves this question again — in light of our accelerated linguistic and cultural decline in recent years, but also with the legitimate goal of taking full control of our destiny,” he said.Recent polls show about 30% of voters in Quebec favor sovereignty.With a minority government, however, there is no guarantee the PQ will retain power“The life expectancy of a minority government typically in Quebec is no more than, on average, 18 to 24 months,” said Daniel Béland, a professor at McGill University and director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.Founded in 1968, the PQ’s policies transformed the cultural and social landscape of the province in the late 20th century. It piloted two unsuccessful independence referendums in 1980 and 1995, the latter of which ended with 50.5% of voters in the “No” camp and 49.50% for the “Yes” camp.Ottawa and Quebec relationsThe PQ leader said he was open to working alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as long as Quebec’s interests are protected.Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, center, speaks to supporters after winning the provincial election in Montreal, Quebec on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)Carney congratulated the new premier on social media, saying he looks forward to building a strong Quebec, even as St-Pierre Plamondon’s separatist dream threatens Canadian unity, especially in the context of a trade war with the U.S.“The PQ said that they want to be consulted about trade decisions that relate to Quebec, and St-Pierre-Plamondon was also critical of the dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs,” said Béland. He sad this potential division between Quebec and Ottawa would be welcome in Washington, since it could mean a “weakened united front on the Canadian side.”Quebec’s other partiesAccording to Élections Québec, voter turnout was 66.9%, with 4.3 million votes cast.The Liberal Party of Quebec will be the official opposition after taking second with 40 seats and 24.4% of votes. Led by newcomer Charles Millard after years of internal scandals, the LPQ doubled its performance from the last elections.Millard said “there is no way we will collaborate on a potential referendum,” though he is open to working with the PQ on healthcare, affordability and housing.The Conservative Party of Quebec took 19 seats, marking its first victories since its creation in 2009. Leader Éric Duhaime led his party to 20.7% of the vote despite controversy over some of its candidates’ stances, notably on vaccines and abortions.“We have just made history. For the first time in 100 years, Quebecers have decided to send a large Conservative Party caucus to the National Assembly,” said Duhaime.The leader promises to cut the gas tax, reduce bureaucracy and support the privatization of healthcare. If the party shares many goals with the PQ, it is opposed to a referendum.The democratic socialist Québec Solidaire headed by Ruba Ghazal and Sol Zanetti won nine seats with 12.4% of the votes.Québec Solidaire is a separatist party that could form an alliance with the PQ to push for a referendum.The incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec suffered a crushing defeat. Despite collecting 13.3% of the popular vote, the party took zero seats after ruling the National Assembly for eight years. The CAQ was marked by multiple scandals of mismanagement and navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.Christine Fréchette has led the party since February, after unpopular former premier François Legault quit.“That’s what democracy is all about,” said Fréchette in her concession speech. “The people of Quebec wanted change, and I respect their choice.”Despite winning more votes than Québec Solidaire, the Coalition Avenir Québec comes away empty handed, because of the province’s first-past-the-post electoral system, which the party promised to reform in 2018.St-Pierre-Plamondon said he was reaching out to the other leaders.“The PQ will have to pick a dance partner for each specific issue, but I don’t think we see the possibility of a coalition government or even a party that will collaborate with the PQ on all the main issues,” Béland said.Courthouse News reporter Tatiana Mulowayi-Pelletier is based in Montreal, Canada.Categories / UncategorizedSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads