Quebec Premier François Legault resigns ahead of fall provincial elections

quebec city city premiere François Legault resigns

Quebec Premier François Legault is stepping down. Here’s what we know

Are Quebecers done with François Legault and the CAQ?

Quebec health minister steps down, leaves CAQ party in blow to Legault government

François Legault takes political and personal hit with minister's resignation over doctor's bill

In a social media post Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet thanked Legault for his commitment to Quebec, its economy, language and unique differences. 

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) in French, Blanchet added that he has no doubt Legault will continue to contribute to Quebec's success in the future .  

Questions remain about whether Legault’s resignation will change his own party's fortunes, let alone the next election's results — and that big, looming question about a third referendum on Quebec's place in Canada.

No matter what today's bombshell spells for election night, sources who spoke to Radio-Canada last month say senior officials with Prime Minister Mark Carney's government have been discussing how to react.

"We're not going to wait for the possible election of the Parti Québécois to get organized and wake up and say, 'What are we going to do?'" a Liberal source familiar with the file said at the time.

They added the government needs to "show that Canada works" and "promote the benefits of the federation to Quebecers."

The Official Opposition is watching, too. A Conservative Party source told Rad-Can they believe that it is "in our interest to start talking about it subtly."

Legault's resignation comes at a crucial time in Quebec politics.

The Parti Québécois has been leading in the polls for months and leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has promised to hold a referendum if they win.

His two main opponents, Legault's CAQ and the Liberals, are now searching for new leaders. Former Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez stepped down last month, following internal party discord.

Legault listed his party's accomplishments, saying the CAQ attracted investments to Quebec. 

He also noted the hydroelectric agreement he signed with Newfoundland and Labrador — which has led to mixed reactions in that province.

Legault pointed to further gains in education, health, and culture with increased government spending. He mentioned the review of nurses' salaries and bonuses, construction of new residences for seniors, and a deal with family doctors changing how they are paid. 

“We will see in the coming months that this will be a revolution in the way patients are cared for on the front line," he said.Not everyone is convinced, however, that patients will benefit from the deal.

In education, Legault highlighted the construction of new schools and increased salaries for teachers, while in culture he cited initiatives to support artists during the pandemic.

I'm Ben Shingler, a reporter based in Montreal who covered Legault's time as premier.

Legault was a transformational figure in Quebec politics. The party he founded, the CAQ, was the first since 1970 to win an election other than the Liberals or separatist Parti Québécois.

He pushed a brand of nationalism, focused on strengthening Quebec's economy, as well as language laws and secularism laws, that aimed to offer an alternative to those two main parties and the question of Quebec independence. Now, that issue could once again be at the forefront in this year's coming election, with the PQ leading in the polls.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who often worked closely with Legault on issues between provinces and the federal government as well as on economic issues, thanked the Quebec premier in a post on X. 

"Thank you … for your friendship, leadership and many years of public service, and for working so closely together to build a stronger relationship between the people of Ontario and Quebec," Ford wrote.

"I wish you and your family all the very best in your retirement."

Hi, I’m Cat Tunney, a reporter with the Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa, where we're watching to see how federal leaders react to Legault's surprise resignation.

The unpopular Quebec premier has had a tumultuous relationship with the federal Liberals over the years — notably facing off against former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau on issues of secularism, immigration and health care.

Legault has struck a friendlier posture with Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying he's on the "same wavelength" when it comes to the economy.

The air of cordiality could also be chalked up to the prime minister's success in Quebec during the last federal election, as Legault's popularity suffered.

After listing a number of his party's accomplishments, including controversial measures such as sweeping legislation on language and secularism and altering the way doctors are paid, Legault said he wanted to extend "sincere thanks to the people of Quebec for allowing me to have two mandates." 

"I am deeply touched. I love the people of Quebec. And for me as premier, it was the greatest honour of my life," he added, ending his remarks.

Hi, I'm Holly Cabrera. I'm a journalist in Montreal.

While the Coalition Avenir Québec presented itself as the party best positioned to oversee the province's economy, the CAQ's last term has been marred by controversy. 

For one, the government lost its $270-million investment in Northvolt Batteries North America's parent company after Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in Sweden in March 2025.

The government's mishandling of Quebec's automobile insurance board digital transformation led to a $500-million cost overrun for the project.

In December, Quebec's unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points, reaching 5.4 per cent, according to the Institut du Québec. 

Are Quebecers done with François Legault and the CAQ?

After the CAQ’s byelection loss in Arthabaska, Quebec Premier François Legault is looking for a way to reboot his party. He recognized that Quebecers are disappointed with his government and its handling of several files, including Northvolt and the SAAQclic fiasco.

Hi, this is Annabelle Olivier reporting from Montreal. The past year has been a turbulent one for Legault's CAQ party, and was marked by the departure of several cabinet ministers including Christian Dubé in December.

Dubé, who became health minister in 2020, steered the province through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw significant changes in the way Quebec administers its public health-care network.

He was also the architect of the controversial legislation known as Bill 2, which sought to reform how physicians are paid and was met with pushback and protests.  

In a Facebook post last December, Dubé cited difficult negotiations with the unions representing doctors in Quebec as a key reason for his resignation.

Dubé said he was also leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec and signalled that he was upset with the way the government had backed off on many of its planned health-care reforms. 

---

---