Quebec election – In a historic shift for Quebec politics, the CAQ has been completely wiped from the National Assembly, clearing the path for a Parti Québécois minority government.
The silence in the National Assembly will be profound when the doors open. In an electoral reversal that has redefined the provincial landscape. the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ)—a party that held 79 seats just weeks ago—has been erased. Christine Fréchette’s party will not hold a single seat in the new parliament. a staggering collapse for a movement that commanded two of the largest majorities in Quebec’s history only years ago.
The shift is as seismic as the CAQ’s disappearance. The Parti Québécois (PQ) has emerged to lead a minority government, securing 59 of the 127 seats. While they fell short of the 64 needed for a majority. their resurgence is undeniable. marking a dramatic rebound from 2022 when they were reduced to just three deputies. They will govern with 28% of the popular vote—a figure that underscores the fractured nature of modern Quebec politics. as no party has ever won an election with less than 30% of the vote until now.
The results highlight a deep fragmentation of the electorate. While 4.3 million Quebecers cast their ballots—a 66.89% participation rate that rose less than one percentage point since 2022—the votes were split thin. Almost half of the population opted for parties other than the incoming government or the official opposition. This trend of diversification. which began with the rise of the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) in the early 2000s and accelerated with the emergence of Québec solidaire (QS). the CAQ. and the Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ). has turned the assembly into a multipartite battleground not seen since 1976.
Indeed, the math of the night tells a story of lost ground. The Liberal Party (PLQ). now the official opposition. won 17 of the 28 re-elected seats. managing to double their 2022 count. yet remaining a shadow of their 2003 or 1973 strength. Meanwhile, the PCQ shattered its own ceiling. Éric Duhaime, who aimed for 12 seats or 20% of the vote, secured 19 seats and roughly 21% of the popular vote. Québec solidaire. led by Ruba Ghazal. managed to hold onto 9 constituencies. surviving the wave that reshaped the rest of the map. though they lost the riding of Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne to the Liberals by fewer than 40 votes.
The collapse of the CAQ was total. Christine Fréchette lost her own seat in Trois-Rivières by less than 2%. In 44 different ridings. the party failed to garner even 10% of the vote—a sharp drop from 2018 and 2022. when they dominated with over 50% of the vote in dozens of districts. For the electorate. the era of the CAQ. which officially formed after the ADQ merged into it in 2012. has come to a definitive end.
As the province looks toward a legislature where 99 of the 127 members are new. the reliance on a coalition of voices rather than a single dominant force is clear. Since 1867, only in 1944, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2026 has a government been elected with less than 40% of the vote. In this new era. the PQ will navigate a house where the PCQ has turned the tide in five ridings with over 50% support. and where the mandate to lead is shared across an increasingly divided field of voters.
Quebec election Parti Québécois CAQ Christine Fréchette Quebec politics Éric Duhaime PCQ results