Québec will have a minority provincial government for, at least, the foreseeable future. The Parti Québécois won the most seats in Monday’s election, but not enough to form a majority.
That change in the political landscape will have implications for Québec and for Canada, as the premier-designate of the province, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, said he firmly believes Québec will become sovereign one day.
But while Plamondon said during his campaign that he would work towards a referendum on sovereignty during his first term, it will not be while U.S. President Donald Trump is still in office.
Just days after winning the election, Plamondon wants the province to abolish ties with the British Monarchy. Plamondon is seeking legal advice to prevent the lieutenant governor, the king’s representative in Québec, from taking part in the opening session of the new Québec legislature.
"We’re still going to go through this legal expertise to make sure that what is a democratic will and a very widely supported idea that we shouldn’t spend money on the representation of the King of England here in Québec," Plamondon said. "That democratic will be applied in the most clever and adequate way possible. So we’re going to go through this over the next days."
Plamondon might have some support to distance Québec from the monarchy, but recent polls show he does not have a majority of Québecers in favor of separation — and his victory came with just over 25% of the popular vote. Some analysts say his pursuit of a referendum might have cost him a majority government.
But a separatist government in Québec poses a new challenge for Prime Minister Mark Carney. He’s already congratulated Plamondon and has said the federal government work with him to improve the lives of people in Canada and in Québec.
"It’s a crucial time for Québec, it’s a crucial time for our country," Carney said. "This is not a time to wait for something a few years down the road. It’s a time to act, it’s a time for boldness. That’s what this government’s been doing; whether it’s in affordable housing, whether it’s in big projects such as Churchill Falls, in Québec. Whether it’s in infrastructure as we see in Québec, the need for investment there. Support for our workers who are being affected by American tariffs."
Questions have also been asked about the collapse of the previous government in Québec — the Coalition Avenir Québec, or CAQ. The party went from a huge majority to being wiped out. This week, it’s leader and former premier, Christine Frechette, announced she’s stepping down.
"I believe in the coalition’s future," she said. "The party must now renew itself and choose new leadership to prepare for the next election, particularly in the context of a minority government. I remain deeply convinced that the third way is the right way for Québec. It’s a nationalist, economic and pragmatic approach that allows Québec to make its own decisions and defend its interests."
That third way offered people in Québec a choice between the separatist Parti Québécois and the federalist Liberals. But voters became disenchanted with the CAQ over what the perceived were failures in health, education and infrastructure.
The other parties in the election came away winners. The Liberals doubled their seats to 40 and will become the official opposition. The Conservatives went from zero to 19, and the left wing Québec Solidaire held their own, coming away with nine seats.
But the election of a separatist party has renewed hope for Alberta’s separatists. In less than two weeks, people in Alberta will vote on whether they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding, vote on leaving.
