Canada’s Quebec separatists win election without majority

Quebec’s separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) has won the provincial
election and could form a minority government, raising the prospect
of a renewed push for the province’s independence from Canada.

According to The New York Times, the party won 59 of the 127
seats in the provincial legislature, falling short of a majority.
This could complicate leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s pledge to
hold a referendum on Quebec independence after Donald Trump leaves
office in 2029.

A similar referendum is expected to take place in another
Canadian province, Alberta, in two weeks.

During the election campaign, Plamondon openly advocated holding
a referendum. Previous party leaders had avoided setting a specific
timetable for a vote in an effort to maintain broader electoral
support.

Support for Quebec independence currently stands at around 30%
among residents, one of the lowest levels recorded in recent
decades.

Quebec, which is about 80% French-speaking, already has
significant autonomy. The province of 9.1 million collects its own
income tax, has immigration policies favoring French speakers and
has laws giving the French language priority over English.

Even with the PQ victory, Trump’s tariffs and 51st-state
rhetoric have complicated the separatist argument by stirring
Canadian nationalism and giving some French-speaking Quebecers
another reason to value remaining part of Canada.

The province held sovereignty referendums in 1980 and 1995. On
both occasions, voters rejected independence, although the 1995
result was extremely close, with the margin of victory for the
pro-Canada camp standing at less than two percentage points.

Experts say the situation has changed since then. Quebec’s
population now has, on average, higher incomes and education
levels, making it less inclined to support separation from
Canada.

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