Parti Québécois returns to power as Quebec election reshapes political landscape

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 06, 2026

Photo Courtesy: CBC Newstions

The Parti Québécois is returning to power in Quebec after more than a decade, winning the provincial election under leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and putting the question of independence back at the centre of Canadian politics.

The PQ secured 59 of the 127 seats in the National Assembly, leaving it five seats short of the 64 needed for a majority. The result means the party will form a minority government and will need support from opposition lawmakers to pass legislation and survive confidence votes.

The election also marked a major shift from the Coalition Avenir Québec government, which had been in power since 2018. The CAQ failed to win a seat in the preliminary results, while the Quebec Liberal Party and Parti conservateur du Québec emerged with sizeable opposition blocs.

For St-Pierre Plamondon, the victory revives the PQ’s push for Quebec sovereignty. He has pledged to eventually hold another referendum on independence, although he has said the vote would come after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office.

The election does not automatically trigger an independence referendum. Any move toward a vote would require the provincial government to navigate the minority legislature and secure the necessary political support.

The outcome also creates a new challenge for Prime Minister Mark Carney as Ottawa continues dealing with trade tensions with the United States. Carney has emphasized Canadian unity in responding to U.S. economic pressure, while Quebec’s new government is once again putting its long-term constitutional future on the political agenda.

With the PQ now back in government but without a majority, Quebec enters a period where the independence debate will unfold alongside the practical demands of governing through a divided legislature.