The Parti Québécois (PQ), whose leader has pledged to hold a sovereignty referendum during his first term, won 59 of 127 seats in Quebec’s October 5 provincial election and will form a minority government, while the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) did not win a single seat, according to results reported by The Canadian Press.

The PQ finished five seats short of the 64 needed for a majority in the National Assembly. The Quebec Liberal Party will form the Official Opposition with 40 seats, more than double its previous total. The Conservative Party of Quebec won 19 seats, its first in the legislature since 1935, and Québec solidaire (QS) won nine.

The PQ took about 28% of the popular vote, the Liberals about 24%, the Conservatives about 21%, the CAQ about 13% and QS about 12%, The Canadian Press reported. Five parties received more than 10% of the vote and none received more than 30%.

The result reverses the balance of the outgoing legislature. Before the election was called, the CAQ held 79 seats, the Liberals 18, QS 11 and the PQ seven, with nine independents and one Conservative, according to Global News. The PQ won three seats in the 2022 election.

What the leaders said

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, now premier-designate, told supporters on election night: “This dream of being a nation will one day be realized.” He won the party leadership in 2020 on a promise to hold a referendum if he formed a government.

In remarks reported by Global News on October 7, he said a referendum was not an immediate priority and would not take place while U.S. President Donald Trump is in office. “We’ve got time and we’ve got plenty of urgencies and problems to solve,” he said. He listed homelessness, government spending and the cost of living as priorities and said his first act would be a summit on reducing homelessness. He also proposed freezing salaries for legislature members and Crown corporation directors, creating a secretariat to review spending and bureaucracy, and naming a trade team to respond to the trade dispute with the United States.

Liberal leader Charles Milliard, who won a seat, ruled out cooperating on a referendum, saying “there is no way that we will collaborate on a potential referendum. No way.” Conservative leader Éric Duhaime, who also won a seat, has pledged to stop the PQ from holding a sovereignty referendum, and said he expects to discuss shared interests such as reducing taxes on used goods and cutting government spending.

QS co-spokespersons Ruba Ghazal and Sol Zanetti both won their seats. “We resisted. It felt like we were starting from pretty far behind,” Ghazal said. The two said they would work to build support for independence but that any move toward sovereignty needs public backing.

Premier Christine Fréchette, who replaced François Legault as CAQ leader in April 2026, lost her own race in Trois-Rivières. On October 6 she announced that she would step down as party leader and remain premier until St-Pierre Plamondon is sworn in. “I accept Quebecers’ decision and take responsibility for the results,” she said. The CAQ, founded in 2011, governed Quebec for eight years. It has 30 days to choose an interim leader.

Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated the premier-designate and said he looked forward to working with him on support for businesses and workers affected by tariffs. Carney also said the moment was “crucial” for Quebec and Canada and “a time to act,” not a time to wait for a future referendum. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said the goal remains letting Quebecers decide whether to create their own country.

Why it matters

With a minority, the PQ will need opposition support to pass legislation, and St-Pierre Plamondon has said he plans to meet each opposition leader. Political analyst Daniel Tran, quoted by Global News, said a minority would limit the party’s ability to pursue its sovereignty goals and require collaboration, since the opposition could trigger a new election at any time.

St-Pierre Plamondon has asked his caucus to stay ready for another campaign. “Will this olive branch be accepted by the other parties? That’s not within our control,” he said on October 9, The Canadian Press reported. “It also gives us the obligation to remain mobilized for an election campaign — not in the short term, but eventually.” The agency noted that the average minority government lasts 18 to 24 months. The PQ did not win a seat in the Quebec City region, where defeated candidate François Gariépy said he believed the party was punished for refusing to commit to a third road link between Quebec City and its south shore during its first term.

What to watch

PQ members are scheduled to be sworn in on October 15, and St-Pierre Plamondon is due to announce his cabinet on October 21. Also pending are the CAQ’s choice of an interim leader and the premier-designate’s planned meetings with opposition leaders.

Corrections and tips: email the editor using the address on the Contact page.