The Parti Québécois won Quebec’s October 5 provincial election without a majority, AP and Reuters reported on October 6. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s pro-independence party is returning to power after more than a decade, but will need help from other parties to govern.
Reuters reported a provisional tally of 59 seats in the 127-member National Assembly, five short of the 64 needed for a majority. AP likewise reported a minority result and said Plamondon acknowledged that voters had denied his party a majority.
The result revives the independence debate in Canada’s predominantly French-speaking province of nine million people. Reuters reported that Plamondon promised a referendum on leaving Canada once US President Donald Trump is out of office. That pledge does not establish a confirmed voting date.
The PQ’s minority position means it will need opposition lawmakers to pass key legislation and survive confidence votes, AP reported. Winning the election therefore leaves the party facing parliamentary constraints as it seeks to advance its agenda.
The outcome could complicate Prime Minister Mark Carney’s effort to maintain Canadian unity in dealing with Trump, according to Reuters. It puts relations between Quebec and the federal government back in focus while leaving the incoming provincial leadership dependent on support beyond its own ranks.
Élections Québec says election-night figures are preliminary. Results become official after the formal tally, usually held the following day in most constituencies. The next steps therefore include confirming the count and establishing how a minority administration will secure parliamentary support.
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