Separatists win Quebec election, tee up independence vote

The Parti Québécois won Monday’s provincial general election, ensuring that party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will become the next premier of Quebec province. Plamondon has pledged to hold a vote on whether Quebec should become an independent country. He also opposes Canada’s permissive immigration policies. Plamondon declared victory in a statement early Tuesday. His party rekindled a taste for the future and a taste for Quebec, he said.

The election results increase the pressure on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, with two provinces now contemplating a split from Canada. The province of Alberta is scheduled to vote Oct. 19 on whether to initiate an independence referendum.

It’s unclear whether a Quebec independence vote would gain the needed momentum. While 59 candidates from the Parti Québécois won in the election, it wasn’t a strong majority victory. The Quebec Liberal Party had a strong showing with 40 winning candidates, while conservative and solidarity parties trailed behind with 19 and 9 votes, respectively, according to preliminary vote counts. Meanwhile, the party of current Quebec premier Christine Fréchette was wiped off the map—none of its candidates won.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on Canada’s bid for associate membership in the European Union.