François Legault announces resignation as Quebec premier amid deep CAQ slide
Quebec Premier François Legault announced he will resign as CAQ leader and premier once a successor is named, after polls put the party near last and a year of fiscal and governance setbacks.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
Quebec Premier François Legault announced Wednesday he will resign as leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec and step down as premier once his party names a successor. The move comes as the CAQ trails rival parties in multiple polls ahead of the provincial election scheduled for October.
Legault told reporters he hopes the next campaign will focus on provincial challenges rather than a desire for change, and said he will remain in office until the party finds a replacement. The CAQ executive was expected to meet the same evening to set a succession process.
Polls show Parti Québécois in the lead, CAQ near the bottom
A new Pallas Data poll, commissioned by The Walrus, puts the separatist Parti Québécois in first place with 34 per cent support. The Quebec Liberals follow with 24 per cent, the Quebec Conservatives have 16 per cent, and the CAQ and Québec solidaire are tied at 11 per cent each.
Qc125 founder Philippe J. Fournier noted the CAQ is particularly weak outside Montreal and Quebec City and among francophone voters, a pattern that could strip the party of many seats in a fall vote.
For the good of the party but above all the good of Quebec, I am announcing that I am resigning my role as Quebec premier.
François Legault
A year of fiscal and political setbacks
Legault’s announcement follows what critics describe as a difficult year for his government. Quebec tabled a budget registering a historic deficit of $13.6 billion, and S&P Global downgraded the province’s credit rating for the first time in three decades.
The auditor general found that a digital modernization project at Quebec’s automobile insurance corporation exceeded its budget by roughly $500 million. The overrun prompted the resignation of the minister responsible for cybersecurity and digital affairs and triggered a public inquiry.
Controversial legislation known as Bill 2 also produced significant political fallout, including widespread pushback from the medical community. The bill’s adoption and subsequent rollbacks led to the resignation of two senior CAQ ministers.
Being the premier of Quebec has been the greatest honour of my life.
François Legault
No obvious successor, internal options tested
Legault has led the CAQ since its formation and through its merger with the Action démocratique du Québec in 2012. His sudden exit leaves no clear heir apparent and opens the door to either an internal leadership race or an external recruitment campaign.
- Geneviève Guilbault, deputy and former public safety minister, has been viewed as a potential successor but her standing was damaged by the insurance corporation controversy.
- Simon Jolin-Barrette, a senior minister who authored several high-profile CAQ reforms, has been seen as a natural successor but his record is polarizing.
- Sonia LeBel and Christine Fréchette, rising ministers who have handled difficult portfolios, have been mentioned as possible contenders but have not signalled interest.
- Mario Dumont, ADQ founder and media personality, has publicly ruled out a return to provincial politics.
It is a great privilege to have learned so much from François Legault.
Geneviève Guilbault
Nothing would make me change my mind.
Mario Dumont
Implications for the October election and Quebec's political landscape
Legault’s departure reshapes the fall campaign. The Parti Québécois, currently leading in polls, could convert its advantage into a majority if voters consolidate around change. The Liberals are simultaneously preparing to select a new leader in March, with former executive Charles Milliard widely expected to win.
Abacus Data pollster David Coletto said the CAQ does not need to be loved to recover; it needs to be viewed as the safer option during a high-stakes moment. He added the question is whether the party can reposition itself quickly and credibly before voter fatigue hardens into lasting decline.
The CAQ does not need to be loved to come back. It needs to be seen as the safer choice in a high-stakes moment. The real question now is whether the party can seize this opening fast enough, and credibly enough, before voter fatigue hardens into something more final.
David Coletto, Abacus Data
Public appetite for another referendum on Quebec sovereignty appears limited, according to recent polling, which could constrain a Parti Québécois government that prioritises a new referendum. Still, the province heads into an election season with significant uncertainty: a leadership vacancy at the CAQ, a Liberal leadership contest, and a PQ leading in the polls.
Legault’s announcement closes a chapter in Quebec politics and begins a fast-moving succession process that will determine whether the CAQ can stabilise before voters head to the polls in October.
Quebec politicsFrançois LegaultCAQprovincial electionpolling
