Quebec Premier François Legault announces resignation

Quebec Premier François Legault has announced he is stepping down, putting an end to a dominant run in provincial politics that saw him lead the party he founded to two majority governments. 

Legault said he will remain in place until his party elects a new leader.

He made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday morning. 

“I can see that, right now, a lot of Quebecers want change first and foremost, and among other things, a change in premier,” Legault said Wednesday at a news conference in Quebec City, flanked by his wife and top aide.

The resignation comes after months of turbulence, falling poll results and ministers leaving the party.

“Of course, there were a few failures — we have talked about them a lot — but there was a lot of success above all,” he said. 

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), will have just months to choose a new leader ahead of the vote scheduled for Oct. 5, 2026.

Legault has been Quebec’s premier since 2018 and the leader of the CAQ since 2011.

Turmoil in recent months

Before the legislative session broke for the holidays in December, the premier had vowed again to stay on as the party’s leader – a promise he had made several times over the last year, despite friction within the party and speculation that some MNAs wanted him to step down. 

Over the course of the fall, the premier lost both Lionel Carmant as social services minister, and Christian Dubé, as health minister, over disagreements with the way the government had handled changes in the remuneration of specialists and family doctors. 

Several MNAs also left or were kicked out of the CAQ in recent months, some for reportedly looking to transition to other parties. 

WATCH | Legault announces his resignation :

Quebec Premier François Legault is stepping down. Here’s what we know

François Legault says he’ll remain in place until his party elects a new leader. His resignation comes after months of turbulence, falling poll results and ministers leaving the party.

Legault came under fire last year as he and his ministers were called to testify at a public inquiry into the rollout of an online platform for Quebec’s automobile insurance board and the $500-million cost overrun it came with. 

The latest Pallas Data poll, which surveyed more than 1,100 Quebecers between Jan. 9 and 10, placed the premier and his party at just 10 per cent in voter intentions. 

More than 50 per cent of respondents responded with “very unfavorable” when asked for their opinion of the party leader.

The Parti Québécois (PQ), which has promised to hold a referendum if they win, has been leading in the polls for months — with the party even sweeping three seats away from the CAQ in three by-elections since 2023.

The Quebec Liberal Party meanwhile is also searching for its permanent leader ahead of the next provincial election. 

Former Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez stepped down last month, following internal party issues.

Transformative figure

Prior to entering politics, he was the co-founder of the Canadian airline, Air Transat.

He was a MNA from 1998 to 2009— serving in the governments of former premiers Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry with the Parti Québécois before ultimately starting his own party.

His nationalist party transformed Quebec politics and was the first since 1970 to win an election other than the Liberals or separatist PQ.

He said he is most proud of where he left Quebec’s economy, accelerating ahead of Ontario when it comes to economic growth, by encouraging companies to expand in the province and transforming the province’s energy sector. 

But his legacy in the energy sector was not without controversy. 

In 2023, the government touted the construction of a Northvolt battery plan as a “historic” moment in the province’s transition to greener energy — saying it would create thousands of jobs. 

The province later lost hundreds of millions of dollars it had invested in the project when Northvolt’s Swedish parent company declared bankruptcy last year.

WATCH | Legault announces his resignation:

François Legault resigns as Quebec premier

He made the announcement during a news conference Wednesday morning. Legault will stay on as premier until a successor is designated to take up the reigns of the party Legault helped found in 2011, the Coalition Avenir Québec.

Legault’s government made a push for secularism, having banned the wearing of religious symbols for some public employees, including teachers. 

The government is still in the process of expanding those laws to include daycare workers and a ban on public prayers. 

“It’s really one big family that we managed to create,” he said. 

“We should not be embarrassed to protect our language, our cultures and our values,” Legault repeated in his resignation speech, pointing to his government’s language law — known as Bill 96 — as another big step in the province’s history.

The premier also steered the province through the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Legault looked back on the period as a moment of pride and solidarity, saying he still appreciates the sacrifices Quebecers made to protect others at the time. 

“I love the people of Quebec. And for me as premier, it was the greatest honour of my life,” he added, ending his remarks.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/legault-resigns-ahead-of-provincial-election-9.7044929?cmp=rss