The Parti Québécois, which defends the French-speaking province's independence, won the Quebec election but fell short of a clear majority for self-rule. The party returns to power for the first time since 2014, and the result is a serious political challenge to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
With more than 50 percent of ballots counted, the Parti Québécois has 29 percent of the vote. The Liberal Party has 23 percent, the Conservative Party - 21 percent, and the Coalition for the Future of Quebec - 14 percent. It is not yet clear whether the new government will have a majority or will be forced to seek support from other parties.
Promise of a new referendum
Party leader Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon will be the province's new premier. He is a 49-year-old lawyer and heads a party that puts the issue of independence at the center of its political program.
The Quebec Party has promised to organize a new referendum on secession from Canada. Plamondon, however, said he would wait until US President Donald Trump's term ends in January 2029. The reason he cited was trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa.
“The current escalation of the trade conflict does not create a calm environment for reflection on the future“, said Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon.If held, it would be the third referendum on Quebec independence. The previous two were organized in 1980 and 1995. The second vote was won by supporters of remaining in Canada by a small margin.
A government with limited support
The victory of the separatist party does not automatically mean that a majority of Quebecers support separation from Canada. The province has about 9 million inhabitants and broad powers within the federation.
The new government will have to rely on support from opposition MPs if it fails to secure a majority in the provincial parliament. This will make it difficult to pass key laws and could make the issue of a future referendum a major topic of political debate in Quebec and Canada.
In Montreal, party supporters celebrated the result with the slogan “Quebec, one country“ - one of the most famous messages of the independence movement.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com