Premier Legault’s resignation a sign Quebec must become a country, PQ leader says

The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) says Premier François Legault’s resignation is proof that Quebec can no longer win gains while remaining within Canada.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Friday that Legault’s departure marks a turning point in Quebec politics and exposes the failure of the Coalition Avenir Québec’s (CAQ) central promise to increase the province’s autonomy without pursuing independence.

“I think it’s undeniable that we just witnessed the end of an era in Quebec,” St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters.

Legault founded the CAQ to offer Quebecers an alternative to the traditional sovereigntist-federalist dichotomy, by focusing on increasing Quebec’s autonomy within the federation. The PQ leader says that approach has failed, pointing to stalled progress in areas such as immigration and health care.

Immigration, in particular, was cited by St-Pierre Plamondon as a prime example, referencing when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected Legault’s request for full control over immigration powers in 2024.

The 21 demands to Ottawa that the CAQ made when it formed government have also been almost entirely ignored, argues the PQ leader.

“Whether the CAQ has achieved what it promised remains the same whether François Legault is there or not,” he said, adding that Quebecers should not have faith in the party even after it elects a new leader.

St-Pierre Plamondon said Legault’s legacy demonstrates that Quebec cannot continue trying to chart a middle course between federalism and sovereignty, and that the only way forward is to shed the maple leaf in place for the fleur de lys.

“There is no third way in Canada,” he said. “It’s either the status quo and the decline that comes with it, or independence.”

The Parti Québécois was the only party not to immediately react in front of cameras following Legault’s resignation. Since then, St-Pierre Plamondon has framed the premier’s exit as a signal that it is time to relaunch the debate over Quebec sovereignty.

The Parti Québécois has been leading in the polls and has promised to hold a referendum by 2030 if it forms government in the provincial election set for October.

Despite this, political analyst Daniel Béland says sovereignty remains a difficult sell for many voters.

“Now there’s a competition between the Liberal Party of Quebec and the CAQ to basically become the anti-referendum party,” Béland said.

Béland adds that Legault’s resignation does not necessarily spell the end of the CAQ’s nationalist appeal, noting a new leader could attempt to reposition the party.

“They could also say, as opposed to the Liberals, (that) we still want to project a strong vision for Quebec, a strong form of nationalism,” he said.

According to polling firm Léger, only about one in three Quebecers currently support independence, with support ranging between 25 and 33 per cent among PQ voters. Pollsters say affordability and the rising cost of living are expected to dominate the next provincial campaign, alongside a renewed debate over sovereignty.

“There is a feeling in the population that they haven’t really caught up with the rapid rise in prices,” Léger Executive Vice-President Sebastien Dallaire said. “The economic impact of sovereignty will become a key part of the upcoming campaign.”

St-Pierre Plamondon says he’s hoping the election can happen sooner to avoid the legislature being paralyzed by Legault’s promise to resign once his party names a successor.

–With files from La Presse Canadienne