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7h ago

Parti Québécois Forms Minority Government with a Thin 28% Mandate

The PQ’s return revives the push for sovereignty while constrained assembly math and federal powers set up likely legal and political clashes

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon casts his ballot on election day in Montreal, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.
Parti Québécois supporters cheer as results come in at PQ headquarters on election night in Montreal, on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
In a Quebec City press conference on Tuesday, premier elect Paul St-Pierre Plamondon suggested sovereignty won’t be a top priority in the first part of his mandate.
Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon waves to supporters after winning the provincial election in Montreal, on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Overview

  • The Parti Québécois won a minority government after Monday’s vote, taking 59 of 127 seats while receiving about 28 percent of the popular vote, the lowest share for any winning party in Quebec history.
  • Leader Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon has pledged to pursue independence but said he will not hold a referendum while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office, effectively delaying a public vote until at least after 2029.
  • The PQ’s platform includes steep cuts to immigration, requests for $4.4 billion more in federal transfers, opposition to federally backed high‑speed rail, and measures echoing Bill 96 and use of the notwithstanding clause that could trigger court fights with Ottawa.
  • The PQ is five seats short of a majority and could only secure Assembly approval for a referendum with Québec Solidaire’s nine seats, while the Liberals, the new Conservatives and legal limits under the Secession Reference and the Clarity Act remain key checks.
  • Early contacts between Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon and Prime Minister Mark Carney were cordial, but the collapse of the CAQ and the PQ’s weak popular mandate make governance fragile and raise the prospect of prolonged federal–provincial tension that will affect immigrants, anglophone communities and public services.