Secessionist party wins Quebec election in Canada

Parti Quebecois returns to power, promising a third referendum on Quebec’s independence from Canada.The secessionist Parti Quebecois has won the most seats in Quebec’s election and will form the next government in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province, according to media reports.The result on Monday revives the question of whether the province should leave Canada, testing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s message of national unity.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2US coastguard suspends search for six on board crashed medical jetlist 2 of 2Trump defiant about midterm chances as he rallies for Republicans in Ohioend of listPaul St-Pierre Plamondon, the party’s leader, is set to become premier.During the campaign, he promised a third referendum on leaving Canada during his first term, although he said he would wait until US President Donald Trump leaves office in January 2029.It was not yet clear whether the party had reached the 64 seats needed for a majority in the 127-seat National Assembly.If it falls short, it would lead a minority government and need support from opposition lawmakers to pass major legislation and survive confidence votes.The Parti Quebecois, or PQ, last governed the province from 2012 to 2014.Monday’s victory marks a sharp recovery for the PQ, which won just three seats in the 2022 provincial election.Its return also ends eight years in power for the Quebec" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="188348" data-entity-type="organization">Coalition Avenir Quebec, or CAQ, a centre-right Quebec nationalist party that does not support independence.Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told The Associated Press news agency that the victory reflects Quebec’s multiparty system, where support is divided among several parties, rather than a surge in secessionist sentiment.Support for independence remains at about 30 percent, low by historical standards, he said.