Québec voters reshaped the province’s political landscape on Monday night, electing a minority Parti Québécois government after a closely fought campaign. The PQ returned to power for the first time since 2012 with just 28% of the popular vote, a result that left it short of the majority it had hoped to secure. The other defining result was the total collapse of the Coalition Avenir Québec. After eight years in government, the CAQ was shut out of the National Assembly, a dram

The time for voters to make their choice has finally arrived. After a lengthy election campaign, Quebecers will head to the polls next Monday to elect a new government. Barring a major surprise, the election is likely to mark the beginning of a new political era in Québec. Here is a glimpse at the final days of the campaign, the latest projections and the key developments to watch ahead of October 5. Almost a quarter of voters have already cast a ballot Advance voting, held

With less than two weeks to go before election day, the provincial campaign is entering the home stretch. After three leaders’ debates, the overall trends are emerging: the Parti Québécois (PQ) remains in the lead, the Québec Liberal Party (PLQ) holds second place, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is struggling to regain ground, while the Conservative Party of Québec (PCQ) continues to be a significant force in the Québec City region. The final few days will be crucial in de

After two jam-packed weeks criss-crossing the province, the campaign buses converged on Montréal for a crucial moment in the election: the first two leaders’ debates. Here are the highlights from the ever-colourful final days of the campaign. Leaders’ debates: Fréchette under scrutiny While the polling frontrunner is usually the main target in a leaders’ debate, it was instead Christine Fréchette of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) who found herself under fire fr

After a fast-paced start, Québec’s election campaign appears to be settling into a more predictable rhythm. However, it would be wrong to suggest that nothing has changed in the last week. Little movement in voting intentions Reflecting a relatively quiet second week, recent polls show very minor shifts in voting intentions among Quebecers. While the PQ remains in the lead, the CAQ’s comeback appears to have reached a ceiling. The latest poll placed the PQ at 29%, followed

The first week of Québec’s election campaign has quickly come and gone. While the parties have already made a long list of commitments, the more salient story is the political dynamic beginning to take shape. The race is tightening, economic issues are occupying more space than expected, and renewed trade tensions with the United States have given the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) an opportunity to regain momentum at a pivotal moment. The CAQ is back in contention The most si

It’s official: Québec is now in an election campaign. Over the course of the next month and a half, the Québec Now team will closely monitor key developments and bring you the most important updates each week. As the campaign buses get rolling, we’re starting with a look at the initial playing field. What the polls are saying With the campaign underway, the Parti Québécois (PQ) leads off as the frontrunner, with 30% of voting intentions. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is b

Québec’s provincial election campaign begins today in a political environment that has shifted dramatically over the past few days. The breakdown of trade negotiations between Canada and the United States, followed by the introduction of new U.S. tariffs, has pushed the economy, jobs and the relationship with Washington back to the centre of the political discourse. For Québec’s political parties setting out on the campaign trail, that could significantly alter their strategi

The LNG terminal project associated with Marinvest Energy has recently returned to the spotlight in Québec. On August 17, Marinvest Energy Canada and Kino Aski Inc. announced plans to jointly develop Kino Aski LNG, a project aimed at exporting liquefied natural gas from Baie-Comeau. Kino Aski, an Indigenous-led company, would hold a majority interest in the development company, with Marinvest as the minority partner. The announcement has brought the project back into the spot

On August 17, the governments of Québec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada announced a new agreement in principle involving Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro for the future of Churchill Falls. The agreement revisits and considerably expands the deal first negotiated under former Québec premier François Legault in 2024. It includes the continued use and expansion of the existing Churchill Falls generating station, the development of the Gull Island hydroelec

Most Quebecers will be enjoying the construction holiday over the next two weeks. It will provide one last respite before what promises to be a colourful election season. With the campaign likely to begin in only a few weeks, Québec Now is providing an overview of the parties as they line up on the starting line: CAQ: An Incumbent Government Facing Political Extinction Christine Fréchette made a successful debut with an initial bump in the polls, but since then she has stru

Québec will not solve its housing crisis without making a genuine shift in favour of residential construction and development more broadly. The challenge is much like the one facing the rest of Canada: demand is outpacing supply, while projects remain too slow, too complex, and too costly to complete. Despite the urgency, Québec’s current approval system still makes it exceptionally difficult to advance new developments. Approval delays are often excessive, processes lack pre

Although Québec’s new Integrated Energy Resource Management Plan acknowledges that energy demand will grow significantly over the coming decades, it does not yet provide a sufficiently detailed and credible strategy for meeting that demand. In its current form, the plan places a disproportionate share of Québec’s energy future on Hydro-Québec. Electrification is presented not simply as an important part of the transition, but as its primary solution. By 2050, electricity dema

That’s it: in Québec, the final parliamentary session before the general election has concluded. MNAs are returning to their ridings to prepare for the election campaign, which is expected to officially launch in a matter of weeks. What has defined the final stretch of the CAQ’s second mandate? In this month’s issue of Québec Now, our team offers you a concise overview of the latest political developments in the province. A last-minute bill on energy drinks passes In recent

As the final pre-election parliamentary session concludes, it is abundantly clear that energy remains one of the major blind spots of the CAQ government’s record. Energy supply issues have rarely been at the forefront of public debate, yet they lie at the heart of almost every major economic challenge facing Québec. The warning signs are multiplying and show no signs of easing. For one, Hydro-Québec is dealing with low reservoir levels. Québec has been importing electricity

With the parliamentary session now behind them, Québec politicians are heading into the summer and back to their ridings with one mission: to be seen. Over the coming weeks, MNAs, ministers, candidates and party leaders will be making appearances at neighbourhood festivals, barbecues, local events and community gatherings across the province. As the October 5 election approaches, the race has become more fluid. The latest Synopsis-La Presse poll puts the Parti Québécois in fi

With MNAs back at the National Assembly and Premier Christine Fréchette now sworn in, Québec has entered the final stretch before the next election campaign. This month’s update highlights the key political developments shaping the months ahead. Parliamentary return: a soft landing for Christine Fréchette Observers were eagerly awaiting the resumption of parliamentary proceedings, as it marked the first real test for the newly installed CAQ Premier. Overall, the return to the

The debate over Québec’s riding redistribution raises questions that go far beyond the redrawing of a few electoral districts; it directly challenges the credibility of the province’s democratic system. The independent Commission de la représentation électorale has established a new electoral map, which is set to come into force on July 15, 2026. This redrawn map of the province’s ridings is intended, among other things, to better reflect population shifts observed in Québec

Christine Fréchette was elected leader of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on April 12, following a leadership race that proved more competitive than many observers had anticipated. Gathered in Drummondville for the announcement of the results, the party confirmed Ms. Fréchette’s victory with 5 7.9 % of the vote, besting h er opponent Bernard Drainville. The campaign, which began in an already politically charged environment, quickly took on a more combative tone t

Between the March Break, significant weather events, and the wait for the appointment of a new premier, Québec’s political ecosystem has slowed down over the past few weeks, but it hasn’t come to a full stop! Here is our latest roundup of Québec political news from the last month. CAQ: Leadership race overshadowed by Iran conflict, ice storm One might have expected that the very first leadership race of the CAQ, which will effectively determine the identity of the next premie