Parti Québécois Projected to Return to Power in Quebec Minority Government

What changed

Quebec is projected to return the sovereigntist Parti Québécois to power in a minority government, making Paul St-Pierre Plamondon the province’s incoming premier. It is the party’s first return to office since 2014.

Plamondon has pledged to:

• Hold a referendum on Quebec independence after Donald Trump leaves office.
• Challenge Ottawa over immigration and provincial jurisdiction.
• End Quebec funding for the lieutenant-governor’s office and redirect the money to social services.

Why it matters

This gives Prime Minister Mark Carney a new constitutional and political fight inside Canada’s largest French-speaking province. Plamondon has already signalled that he will resist federal decisions seen as intruding on Quebec’s authority, including any increase in immigration levels imposed by Ottawa.

The independence question is not immediately settled. Polling cited in the election coverage puts support for separation at 30%, and any referendum in 2029 or 2030 would depend on Plamondon staying in office and keeping his promise. Quebec has held independence votes before, in 1980 and 1995.

The more immediate clash may involve the monarchy. Plamondon wants to abolish Quebec’s support for the lieutenant-governor’s office, which represents King Charles III in the province, and spend that money on issues such as homelessness. That plan could trigger major legal challenges because the lieutenant-governor has a constitutional role, including granting royal assent to provincial laws.

The timing could make Ottawa’s job harder. Alberta may hold its own separation vote later this month, leaving Carney potentially managing two distinct unity disputes at once. The PQ’s minority status also means Plamondon will have to turn a forceful campaign programme into workable legislation while facing opposition in the Quebec legislature.