Quebec Premier François Legault to Resign After Seven Years in Office

Quebec Premier François Legault announced on Wednesday that he will resign after seven years in power, telling a news conference in Quebec City that "Quebecers want change." The announcement — only weeks after Mr. Legault’s pledge to run for a third term — said he will step down after his party, the Coalition Avenir Québec, a pro‑business, center‑right party, selects a new leader.

The move could upend political dynamics in the province ahead of a general election likely to be held next fall. Mr. Legault said he hoped the next election would be decided "not on a simple desire for change" but on challenges such as restructuring the economy and stopping the decline of the French language, especially in Montreal.

Mr. Legault rose to become one of Canada’s most popular premiers during the pandemic and was overwhelmingly re‑elected in October 2022. But, according to several polls, he became the country’s most unpopular premier after setbacks including the failure to establish a high‑profile battery plant, troubled digitizing of some government services and hardball negotiations with medical doctors; some of his attempts to regain support, the reporting said, backfired.

Today the Parti Québécois leads in the polls and its leader, Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, has said his party would hold a referendum on independence during a first term if it takes power. Polls show a majority of Quebecers do not back independence. Quebec’s next general election must be held by Oct.

Key Topics

Politics, François Legault, Quebec, Coalition Avenir Quebec, Parti Québécois, Paul St-pierre Plamondon