Quebecers will head to the polls on Saturday in a provincial election that, according to current polling, is set to return the Parti Québécois (PQ) to power. The PQ, which governs a province of roughly nine million people, has pledged to hold a referendum on Quebec’s independence from Canada within the next two years, and has also set a target of organising a vote by 2028.
If the polls hold, the PQ’s victory would mark the first time in more than a decade that a separatist‑leaning party has formed the provincial government in Canada’s French‑speaking region. The last time the PQ led Quebec was in 2014, before being ousted by the centre‑right Coalition Avenir Québec.
The party’s platform centres on a promise to give Quebecers a clear choice on sovereignty, arguing that the province’s distinct language, culture and legal system justify a future as an independent nation. Party leader [Name not provided in source] said the referendum would be “a democratic exercise that respects the will of the people of Quebec.”
Opposition parties, including the Liberal Party and the Coalition Avenir Québec, have warned that a push for another referendum could deepen divisions within the province and strain relations with the federal government. They stress the importance of focusing on economic recovery and public services rather than constitutional change.
Quebec, Canada’s largest province by area and the country’s most populous French‑speaking region, has held two referendums on sovereignty in 1980 and 1995, both of which resulted in a vote to remain within Canada. The prospect of a new referendum has reignited debate over the province’s future role within the federation.
Election officials have urged voters to participate, noting that turnout will be crucial in determining whether the PQ’s referendum promise gains the mandate it seeks. The results, expected late Sunday night, will shape the political landscape of Quebec and its relationship with Ottawa for years to come.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
