Quebec vote puts PQ’s return to power in focus

Quebec voters went to the polls Monday with the Parti Québécois widely expected to make a strong showing, but pre-election reports offered no results confirming whether the party won power or a majority in the 127-seat legislature. Polling cited in the reports put the PQ at about 29% to 30% support. The first-past-the-post electoral system and a divided vote among other parties could allow that level of support to translate into a legislative majority, but the outcome remained unresolved. The Coalition Avenir Québec, which had governed for eight years, was expected to lose, while the PQ sought to return to office after more than a decade in opposition. The campaign did not establish that voters backing the PQ also supported Quebec independence. Reports described affordability, French-language protections and dissatisfaction with the government as factors in the party’s rise, while Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats toward Canada shaped discussion of the province’s relationship with the United States. One poll cited by Reuters found that 77% of respondents wanted a change of government; the report also pointed to high prices, strained health care and tariff concerns.