Parti Québécois wins the most seats in Quebec election — Al Jazeera

The Quebec independence-supporting Parti Québécois won the most seats in the election in the Canadian province of Quebec and is set to form the next government. Its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is expected to become the province's premier, Al Jazeera reports.

Promise of a referendum

During the election campaign, Plamondon promised to hold a third referendum on Quebec's withdrawal from Canada during his first term. At the same time, he said he would wait until the end of US President Donald Trump's term in January 2029.

At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Parti Québécois had secured the 64 seats needed for a majority in the 127-seat National Assembly of Quebec. If the party fails to win a majority, it will lead a minority government and will need the support of opposition lawmakers to pass key legislation and survive confidence votes.

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Return to power

Parti Québécois last governed Quebec in 2012–2014. Its current victory represents a significant recovery after the 2022 election, when the party won only three seats. It also ends eight years in power for the Coalition Avenir Québec, a centre-right Quebec nationalist party that does not support the province's independence.

McGill University political science professor Daniel Béland told the Associated Press that the result reflects Quebec's multiparty system, where support is divided among several forces, rather than a sharp rise in separatist sentiment. According to him, support for independence remains at about 30%, which is low by historical standards. Quebec has already held independence referendums in 1980 and 1995, and voters rejected separation from Canada on both occasions.