Quebec Party leader promises referendum after local election victory

Voting results and independence plans

The separatist Quebec Party won the local elections in the Canadian province of Quebec. The political force secured 59 seats in the National Assembly out of 127 available. Although this result was sufficient to obtain the largest number of mandates, the party failed to form an absolute majority — it was short by five mandates.

The leader of the winners, 49-year-old Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, addressed his supporters with a statement on his intentions to hold a referendum on the province's exit from Canada.

«Референдум — це шанс самим вирішувати питання… одного дня наша національна доля здійсниться» (The referendum is a chance to decide the issue ourselves… one day our national destiny will be fulfilled), Plamondon emphasised.

Political consequences and analyst reaction

The politician acknowledged that to implement his plans for a vote on independence, the Quebec Party would have to seek allies among deputies from opposition factions.

Experts explain the change in the political landscape by voter fatigue with the incumbent right-of-centre Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ). This party had been in power since 2018, but in the latest elections it lost all 79 seats it previously held in the National Assembly.

Context in another province

It is worth noting that the issue of regional autonomy remains relevant in other parts of the country as well. Thus, in October, a non-binding vote dedicated to the issue of this region's independence is planned to be held in the Canadian province of Alberta.