Separatists Party Québécois ( The PQ has won the provincial elections in Quebec, returning to power after more than a decade and promising a new referendum on independence from Canada.
However, The PQ has not achieved most at the Quebec National Assembly. According to results reported after the count, the party led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon secured 59 out of 127 seats, while the majority needed 64.
This means that the new government will be in the minority and will have to seek opposition parties’ support for adopting laws and votes of confidence.
St-Pierre Plamondon acknowledged that voters did not give the party the majority they asked for, saying their message was clear: The PQ must co-operate with other parties.
However, he has reiterated the pledge to hold a referendum on Quebecu’s sovereignty. The separatist leader has declared that such a referendum will not be held as long as Donald Trump is president of the US.
In his victory speech, St-Pierre Plamondon presented independence as a matter of preserving the province’s Frankofon identity, Television broadcast.
Quabec simply wants to be on his own, like other countries in the world, he said, adding that citizens should have the opportunity to decide for themselves about their future.
He also tried to calm Canadians outside Quebec, stressing that the independence project does not target their exclusion and that the province will remain geographically where it is, creating common interests for co-operation.
The PQ’s victory, however, does not imply that the majority of Quebec residents support the secession from Canada. According to politicalologist Daniel Béland of McGill University, the elections were more determined by dissatisfaction with Coalition Avenir Queebec ( CAQ, which was in power since 2018, rather than support for independence.
Support for independence is currently estimated at about 30 percent, a relatively low level compared to previous periods. Quebecu has held two referendums on sovereignty, in the 1980s and 1995, and in both cases voters chose to remain part of Canada. The 1995 referendum was lost by separatists by a very narrow margin.
The result is a severe blow to CAQ. The party that before the elections controlled 79 seats lost power, while its leader, Christine Fréchette, admitted defeat and said she claimed responsibility for the outcome.
At the federal level, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon and signalled Ottawa’s readiness to co-operate with the new provincial government.
Carney said strengthening Quebecut is part of the effort to build a stronger Canada. He promised co-operation for support of businesses and workers affected by US tariffs, job creation and housing construction.
The separatists’ victory comes at a significant moment for Canada’s unity. On October 19th, residents of Alberta are expected to vote in a non-binding referendum on whether the province should move forward with a process of secession from Canada.
Quebecu, where about 80 percent of the population is Frankophone, already enjoys broad autonomous powers. The province collects its income taxes, has special policies for immigration, and laws that give priority to French language towards English.
Currently, the PEC minority government faces the challenge of securing the support of other parties, while in parallel trying to bring the issue of independence back to the centre of political debate in Quebec. /Telegraphy/
