Quebec Deserves To Be A Country: Separatist Leader Vows To Leave Canada After Election Win

The separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) has returned to power in Quebec after more than a decade, with leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon declaring that the French-speaking province “deserves to be a country” and promising another referendum on independence from Canada.

The PQ won 59 of Quebec’s 127 seats in Monday’s provincial election, falling five seats short of the 64 needed for a majority. It will therefore form a minority government and need support from opposition parties to pass legislation.

Addressing supporters in Montreal after the result, Plamondon said Quebec’s French-speaking population had endured a “courageous struggle” to preserve its identity within an English-speaking country. He said that struggle would find meaning when French-speakers secured their own country and recognition.

The PQ’s victory marks a major political comeback for the sovereigntist party, which had been out of government since 2014. Its return also presents a fresh challenge to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s efforts to reinforce national unity as Canada faces continued tensions with the United States.

Plamondon has pledged to hold a third referendum on Quebec sovereignty, but he has said the vote will not take place while US President Donald Trump remains in office. The PQ leader has indicated that he wants to wait until Trump’s term ends in 2029, arguing that Quebec’s constitutional future should not be overshadowed by political upheaval in the United States.

The election result, however, does not indicate that a majority of Quebecers support independence. Recent polling has put support for leaving Canada at around 30 per cent. Analysts have also said the PQ benefited from widespread dissatisfaction with the outgoing Coalition Avenir Québec government, particularly over issues such as the cost of living.

The election produced an unusually fragmented legislature. The Liberals strengthened their position as the main opposition, while the Quebec Conservatives also won seats. The CAQ, which had governed Quebec for eight years, suffered a major defeat.

Carney congratulated Plamondon after the result and said his government would continue working with Quebec. The federal government now faces the challenge of managing relations with a provincial government committed to eventually putting independence to a popular vote.

The Quebec result also comes as separatist sentiment is receiving attention elsewhere in Canada. Alberta is due to hold a non-binding referendum on October 19 on whether the province should begin the constitutional process required for a binding vote on separation from Canada.

Quebec has held two previous sovereignty referendums, in 1980 and 1995, with voters rejecting independence on both occasions. The latest PQ victory puts the question of Quebec's future back at the centre of Canada's political debate, even as the party prepares to govern without a legislative majority.