Separatists win Quebec election, could make it harder for Carney to deal with Trump

A separatist party won ​Quebec's election on Monday, public broadcaster Radio-Canada ​said, a result which could make ‌it ​tougher for Prime Minister Mark Carney to maintain national unity against U.S. President Donald Trump. Radio-Canada said early results made it clear that ‌the predominantly French-speaking province of 9 million people had opted for the Parti Quebecois of Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who is promising to hold a referendum on splitting away from Canada once Trump leaves office.

But ‌it was too early to say whether the party - which last held power in ‌2014 - had won a majority of the 127 seats in the provincial legislature, the broadcaster added. The result, which was widely expected, reflects voter fatigue with the center-right Coalition Avenir Quebec government, which had been in office since 2018, ⁠analysts ​said.

Carney, who has stressed ⁠the need for a united front to deal with Trump's tariffs, must now work with a Quebec premier who ⁠is determined to break up Canada. Previous PQ governments held failed independence votes in 1980 and 1995 and ​polls indicate support for the idea of breaking with Canada is at 30%, near record ⁠lows.

Plamondon, citing the political uncertainty and economic damage done by the tariffs, says he will not call another referendum ⁠until ​Trump is out of White House. He also says he will work with Ottawa whenever it suits Quebec's interests. But some PQ policies - such as resisting any federal bid to boost ⁠immigration levels, vowing to cut Quebec's ties to the British monarchy and promising to block ⁠a proposed high-speed high-profile rail ⁠line linking Quebec with Ontario - could well increase tensions with the prime minister.

Earlier in the day, Carney told reporters he would work with whoever ‌Quebec chose ‌as its next premier.