The Parti Québécois has won the Quebec election, returning to power more than a decade after its last government while falling short of the majority needed to govern alone.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s party was on track for close to 60 seats in the 127-member National Assembly, below the 64-seat threshold for a majority government.
The result gives the PQ control of the provincial government but leaves it dependent on opposition parties to pass legislation and survive confidence votes.
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Quebec Election: Parti Québécois returns to power
The victory marks a major reversal in Quebec politics.
The PQ had been reduced to a small presence in the legislature after the 2018 and 2022 elections, but rebuilt its support during the campaign around the party’s sovereignty project and criticism of the outgoing government.
St-Pierre Plamondon has promised to hold another referendum on Quebec independence.
He has also said such a vote would not take place while Donald Trump remains president of the United States.
The incoming premier presented independence as a long-term political objective tied to protecting Quebec’s French-language identity.
However, the election result does not itself constitute a mandate for Quebec to leave Canada.
Support for sovereignty remains below the levels recorded during Quebec’s two previous independence referendums, held in 1980 and 1995.
The PQ will now have to balance its independence platform with the immediate demands of governing a province of more than nine million people.
Minority government will need opposition support
The PQ’s failure to win a majority means the new government will face negotiations in the National Assembly from its first sitting.
Opposition parties will be able to influence budget legislation, confidence votes and major government bills.
The arrangement could also make the timing of any referendum more difficult, particularly if other parties oppose the PQ’s sovereignty plans.
The Quebec Liberal Party and the Conservative Party of Quebec are expected to challenge the government from different political positions.
Québec solidaire, which also supports Quebec independence, could hold particular influence on selected votes if the final seat distribution leaves the parties closely divided.
That parliamentary arithmetic will be one of the first tests for the new premier.
The PQ will have to find issue-by-issue support while demonstrating that it can deliver on health care, housing, affordability and economic priorities.
CAQ suffers major defeat
The election ended the Coalition Avenir Québec’s period in government, which began in 2018.
CAQ leader Christine Fréchette conceded defeat and lost her own riding of Trois-Rivières.
The party, which entered the campaign with 79 seats, was shut out of the legislature according to preliminary election results.
The result represents a sharp collapse for a party that won a majority government in 2022.
It also leaves the CAQ facing questions about its leadership, organization and political future.
Fréchette had taken over the party leadership after François Legault announced his departure as premier and CAQ leader.
Her defeat means the party will need to determine whether it continues under its current structure or begins another leadership process.
Québec solidaire keeps a smaller role
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal was re-elected in Mercier, while former federal New Democratic Party MP Alexandre Boulerice won the Gouin riding for the party.
The results give Québec solidaire a continued presence in the National Assembly but do not amount to the major breakthrough the party had sought during the campaign.
Ghazal argued during the campaign that the party could offer a progressive alternative to both the PQ and the parties on the right.
Boulerice’s victory adds a prominent new member to the Québec solidaire caucus and strengthens its representation in Montreal.
The party’s position could become important if the PQ requires support for legislation connected to social programs, the environment, labour policy or language law.
What happens next
Élections Québec said preliminary results are reported as polling stations finish counting ballots on election night.
Results become official after the addition of votes, which takes place the following day in most electoral divisions.
The new government will then begin the process of forming cabinet and preparing its first legislative agenda.
The PQ will also need to clarify how quickly it intends to advance its sovereignty commitments.
A referendum would require significant political preparation, public support and a detailed question, while opposition parties have already indicated that they would challenge such a move.
For Ottawa, the result creates a new national-unity challenge but not an immediate constitutional crisis.
The federal government will have to work with a Quebec government whose central political objective is eventually to create an independent state.
The election therefore begins two political debates at once: how the PQ will govern as a minority administration, and whether its independence project can gain broader support among Quebec voters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Quebec election?
The Parti Québécois, led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, won the election and will form the next Quebec government.
Did the Parti Québécois win a majority?
No. The PQ won enough seats to form government but fell short of the 64 seats required for a majority in Quebec’s 127-seat National Assembly.
What does a minority government mean in Quebec?
A minority government must secure support from opposition parties to pass major legislation and survive confidence votes.
Will Quebec hold an independence referendum?
The PQ has promised another referendum, but the election result does not automatically trigger one. The timing and process remain political decisions for the new government.
What happened to the Coalition Avenir Québec?
The CAQ suffered a major defeat, with leader Christine Fréchette losing her riding and the party left without a seat in the legislature according to preliminary results.
Fact-Checked: Key election results, the 127-seat legislature, the majority threshold and the official vote-counting process were checked against Élections Québec information and current election reporting.
Disclaimer: Election results remain preliminary until the official addition of votes is completed by Élections Québec.