Timeline of François Legault’s political life

François Legault’s time in office will have profoundly marked the Quebec political landscape for many years.

READ: François Legault to step down as Quebec premier ahead of fall election

It was Lucien Bouchard who recruited the accountant and co-founder of Air Transat in 1998 to appoint him minister of trade, science and technology, two months before he was even elected for the first time as the Member of the National Assembly for Rousseau in the general election of October of the same year.

He went on to hold the two most important cabinet positions, namely minister of education and then minister of health and social services, in the successive governments of Bouchard and Bernard Landry, before finding himself in the Opposition in 2003.

This stint on the other side of the National Assembly lasted five years before he resigned as an MNA.

In early 2011, he and businessman Charles Sirois published the manifesto of the Coalition for the Future of Quebec (CAQ), and the party bearing that name was launched at the end of the same year with Legault as its leader.

Under this new CAQ banner, he was first elected in the riding of L’Assomption in 2012, when the Parti Québécois formed a minority government under Pauline Marois. The CAQ succeeded in electing 19 members.

The PQ was defeated two years later by Philippe Couillard’s Liberals, and the 2014 election allowed 22 CAQ MNAs to take their seats in the National Assembly.

In 2018, the CAQ succeeded in breaking the Parti Québécois/Liberal duopoly for the first time since the 1960s, taking power with 74 of the 125 seats, but only 37 per cent of the popular vote.

Following its handling of the pandemic, the CAQ won 90 seats and 41 per cent of the popular vote in the 2022 election. Legault was then at the height of his popularity.

His last term was marked by a decline in this popularity and a series of unpopular decisions, a clear drop in the polls showing that the CAQ would struggle to retain even a tiny handful of seats and that three-quarters of Quebecers had an unfavourable or very unfavorable opinion of Premier Legault himself.

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Here’s a timeline of key moments:

Sept. 23, 1998 — Then-premier Lucien Bouchard names Legault minister of industry, trade, science and technology in the Parti Québécois government before the new recruit is even elected to a riding.

Nov. 30, 1998 — Legault officially makes leap to provincial politics, winning the riding of Rousseau for the PQ in the general election. Legault is named education minister following the win.

Jan. 30, 2002 — Legault is named health and social services minister after Bernard Landry takes over from Bouchard as PQ leader and premier.

April 14, 2003 — The PQ loses general election to Quebec Liberals under Jean Charest. Legault, who is re-elected in his riding, becomes official Opposition spokesperson for the finance and economy files.

June 8, 2005 — Legault, who had considered running to replace Landry as PQ leader, confirms he won’t seek the party leadership citing family considerations.

March, 26, 2007 — Legault is re-elected in general election with the PQ, which falls to third place. Liberals win minority government with the Action démocratique du Québec as official Opposition.

Dec. 8, 2008 — Legault is re-elected in general election with the PQ, which returns to official Opposition status. Liberals win majority with Charest.

June 25, 2009 — Legault resigns as member of the national assembly, saying he found working in opposition to be frustrating.

February 2011 — Legault, along with entrepreneur Charles Sirois, announces creation of Coalition pour l’Avenir du Québec — at the time, a non-profit.

Nov. 14, 2011 — The Coalition Avenir Québec is launched as a political party, with Legault describing the new formation as a nationalist party offering a third way from the federalist-sovereigntist dynamic that has dominated Quebec politics for decades. With Legault as leader but without a seat, the party recruits former PQ members and merges with the Action démocratique du Québec.

Sept. 4, 2012 — The party wins 19 seats in its first general election, good for third-party status. Legault returns to the legislature, winning the riding of L’Assomption, northeast of Montreal. PQ is returned to power with a minority government.

April 7, 2014 — The CAQ wins 22 seats but remains in third place after general election. Liberals win majority government under Philippe Couillard.

Oct. 1, 2018 — The CAQ wins 74 out of 125 seats with Legault becoming the premier of Quebec. Much of his first term is spent dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.

Oct. 3, 2022 — Legault and CAQ romp to a second majority government, winning 90 seats. The second mandate is marked by major challenges including the failure of the Northvolt battery plant south of Montreal and the $500-million cost-overrun scandal at the province’s automobile insurance board.

Jan. 14, 2026 — Legault announces in Quebec City he will not lead his party into the October 2026 provincial election, saying Quebecers want a change.

–With files from La Presse Canadienne