Here’s a shocking truth: François Legault, once hailed as the leader who would unite Quebec, has instead left the province more divided than ever. But here’s where it gets controversial—while he aimed to shift Quebec’s political focus from sovereignty debates to economic issues, his actions may have inadvertently reignited old tensions. Let’s dive into how this happened and what it means for Quebec’s future.
On Wednesday, a visibly disheartened François Legault attempted to salvage his legacy as Quebec’s 32nd premier. He highlighted his efforts to protect lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and boasted about Quebec’s economic performance compared to Ontario. And this is the part most people miss—despite these achievements, Legault failed to transform Quebec’s political landscape from its traditional Liberal-Parti Québécois duopoly to a more conventional left-right spectrum centered on economics.
In 2011, Legault, a former PQ cabinet minister, founded the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), uniting both federalist and sovereigntist factions. He pledged to set aside the independence debate to tackle Quebec’s pressing economic challenges, such as aging infrastructure and a growing elderly population. However, his tenure took a different turn. Instead of bridging the sovereigntist-federalist divide, he may have deepened it by enacting controversial secularism and language laws that overshadowed Charter rights. His portrayal of federal immigration policies as a threat to Quebec’s identity further polarized the province.
Legault’s sudden resignation, after insisting he would lead the CAQ into the 2026 election, has left his party in disarray. Without a clear successor, the CAQ faces an uphill battle against a resurgent PQ and a resilient Liberal Party. Here’s a bold question for you—could Legault’s departure signal the beginning of the end for the CAQ, or is there still a chance for revival? Unlike other parties, the CAQ lacks a charismatic figure like Mark Carney to step in and save the day.
Legault’s fall from grace is one of the most dramatic in recent Canadian political history, rivaling even Justin Trudeau’s decline. While Trudeau’s popularity never reached Legault’s peak—when his down-to-earth style resonated deeply with Quebeckers—Legault’s downfall was swift. A series of governance missteps eroded his image as a competent manager. As a former accountant and co-founder of Air Transat, he positioned himself as a pragmatic businessman. Yet, his government inherited a budget surplus from the Liberals only to leave Quebec with a significant structural deficit and rising debt.
One of Legault’s most criticized decisions was his ambitious plan to make Quebec a global hub for electric-battery manufacturing. The centerpiece of this plan—a gigafactory by Northvolt—collapsed when the company went bankrupt. His government also pursued a controversial tunnel project under the St. Lawrence River, linking Quebec City to its suburbs, which drew widespread criticism. Additionally, they failed to address massive cost overruns in an IT program at the provincial automobile insurance board.
Legault’s renegotiation of the 1969 Churchill Falls hydroelectric contract with Newfoundland and Labrador stands as a notable achievement, given the historical tensions between the provinces. However, this victory remains fragile, as Newfoundland’s new Progressive Conservative government is reviewing the agreement. The final blow to Legault’s tenure came with the resignation of Health Minister Christian Dubé, who publicly disagreed with the Premier’s decision to abandon performance-based salary reforms for doctors. This incident reinforced the perception of a leader who had lost the trust of his cabinet, caucus, and the electorate.
With Legault’s resignation just nine months before the election, Quebec’s political landscape is wide open. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who promises a third sovereignty referendum if elected, has raised concerns about his temperament and readiness to govern. The Liberals, meanwhile, are set to appoint former business lobbyist Charles Milliard as their leader, hoping to move past Pablo Rodriguez’s scandal-ridden tenure. The right-wing Quebec Conservative Party, led by Éric Duhaime, is gaining traction among disaffected CAQ supporters, while the far-left Québec Solidaire is losing ground, though it retains a loyal base of urban progressives.
Here’s a thought-provoking question to leave you with—as Quebec heads into an unpredictable election year, will the province revert to old sovereignty debates, or will economic issues finally take center stage? Share your thoughts in the comments—this discussion is far from over.
