Key facts
- Parti Québécois won Quebec election with 56 additional seats but no majority.
- PQ secured 28% of the popular vote, the lowest for any Canadian government.
- Referendum on separation is unlikely before 2028, after Donald Trump leaves office.
- Coalition Avenir Québec collapsed, losing all seats.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney remains popular due to his stance against Trump.
- Albertans will hold a "referendum on a referendum" on secession in two weeks.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) has won the Quebec provincial election, securing its first taste of power in 14 years with a significant increase in seats. However, the party fell five seats short of a majority government and garnered only 28% of the popular vote, the lowest percentage for any governing party in Canadian electoral history.
This outcome casts doubt on the PQ's central promise to hold a referendum on Quebec's separation from Canada after Donald Trump leaves office in 2028. The majority of Quebecers voted for parties that do not support a referendum, reflecting a 30-year aversion to another divisive debate on the province's place in Canada, particularly in light of recent trade tensions with the U.S.
The election also saw the complete collapse of the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which has been in power since 2018. Its leader, Christine Fréchette, resigned after losing her seat. The populist Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ) made significant gains, winning 19 ridings, while the federalist Liberal party, led by Charles Milliard, regained seats in Montreal and the Eastern Townships, positioning itself as the official opposition.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney remains a popular figure, partly due to his stance against Trump's trade policies, which puts separatist leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in an awkward position. Plamondon has pledged to be a "good-faith collaborator" with the rest of Canada, even addressing the crowd in English and attempting to court federalist sentiment. Meanwhile, Alberta is set to hold its own "referendum on a referendum" on secession in the coming weeks, though polls suggest a similar aversion to separation among its populace.