Parti Québécois Wins Quebec Election with Minority Government, Vowing Independence Referendum

The separatist Parti Québécois has won Quebec's provincial election, returning to power for the first time in more than a decade and setting the stage for renewed tensions with Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government in Ottawa. Radio-Canada projected the PQ's victory shortly before 8:40 p.m. Montreal time on October 5, with party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon set to become the province's next premier.

The PQ fell short of winning a majority of the 127 seats in Quebec's National Assembly, according to Radio-Canada projections, leaving it with a minority government that will require support from other parties to advance its agenda. That outcome limits its immediate ability to force a showdown with Ottawa over Quebec's future, as a majority would have more directly positioned the party to pursue a referendum on independence from Canada.

The victory marks a significant political shift for Canada, with the PQ having campaigned on a promise to hold another sovereignty referendum, echoing the 1995 vote in which the independence side came within a fraction of a percentage point of winning. The result poses a fresh challenge for Carney's government as it would need to navigate sovereignty pressures from Quebec alongside its other federal priorities.