The Parti Quebecois won Quebec's 5 October election short of a majority, with leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon promising an independence referendum after Donald Trump leaves office.
The separatist Parti Quebecois won Quebec's provincial election on Monday, Radio-Canada and Reuters reported, a result that could complicate Prime Minister Mark Carney's effort to hold a common Canadian line toward the United States.
Preliminary results cited by Reuters gave the party 59 of 127 seats in the National Assembly, short of the 64 needed for a majority. Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, expected to become premier, has said he will need support from other parties to authorize an independence referendum.
Plamondon has pledged to hold that vote after US President Donald Trump leaves office at the end of his second term, not while Trump is in the White House. Quebec, home to about 9 million people, has been among the provinces most exposed to the trade dispute with the United States.
Analysts told Reuters the outcome was expected and reflected fatigue with the Coalition Avenir Quebec, in power since 2018, after complaints about living costs and the health system. The PQ last formed government more than a decade ago.
Carney now faces a Quebec government committed to a later sovereignty vote while Ottawa is still managing relations with Washington. The seat count was still described as preliminary on Tuesday morning.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Analysts described the result as expected voter fatigue with the outgoing Coalition Avenir Quebec.
- Plamondon said he would need other parties' support to approve a referendum.