Québec Does What Québec Wants
Everywhere in the Western world, nationalism and populism have seen a monumental rise, and now have seemed to take a hold of mainstream politics. Québec has been no exception. Even if it has sent many liberal representatives to Ottawa, it has mostly floored its provincial National Assembly with proponents of Québec nationalism, the bulk of them being members of François Legault’s CAQ party.
The CAQ, though, is currently in big trouble, as its majority in parliament is at risk. It has been a part of multiple political scandals, including the humiliating SAAQclic fiasco, and recent polls suggest the party might be completely wiped out by Paul St-Pierre Planmondon’s Parti Québecois in the October 2026 provincial elections.
As a desperate attempt to save themselves, the CAQ has unveiled their plan to save the “Québecois nation”: a brand-new provincial Constitution, one it has written without consulting the other political parties, let alone the population.
In this proposed Constitution, the province’s priorities and values would include: “State laicity, the model of integration into the Québec nation (as opposed to Canadian multiculturalism) and the civil law tradition.” Also, it reinforces the idea that the State of Québec is the sole protector of the province’s language and culture, and that it must “strike a balance between collective and individual rights.”
Furthermore, the Constitution would outright reject core Canadian institutions, by, for example, replacing the Lieutenant-Governor by an ‘Officer of Québec,’ stating it “has no attachment to the monarchical system,” or by affirming that the State of Québec is solely beholden to Québecois courts.
All in all, the Constitution seems to be, once again, an attempt from the CAQ to appeal to their nationalistic base by eroding minority rights to the benefit of the collective, and by blurring the lines between the values of the party and the values of the State (Béland).
However, this political Hail Mary might not be enough to save the CAQ from the defeat predicted for them in the upcoming provincial elections. In a recent poll, most people said they would vote for the separatist Parti Québecois, currently at 33% of vote intentions (Lau). Such a rise in the polls for the PQ demonstrates how much Québec separatism has escaped its fringe status and risen in popularity, especially among teenagers and young adults. As Québec celebrates 30 years since the 1995 Independence Referendum, debates on its place within the Canadian Confederation have multiplied.
When we look at the change in attitude towards nationalism here and abroad, it becomes evident that it doesn’t matter if the CAQ’s constitutional ambitions lead them anywhere. No matter the head or the party, the trend will not be hindered: separatism is back in fashion!
Works Cited
Béland, |By Daniel. “François Legault’s Deeply Flawed Québec Constitution Act .” Policy Magazine, 9 Nov. 2025, www.policymagazine.ca/francois-legaults-deeply-flawed-quebec-constitution-act/.
Lau, Rachel. “More than Half of Quebecers Want a New Government Come the next Election: Survey.” CTVNews, 14 May 2025, www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/politics/article/more-than-half-of-quebecers-want-a-new-government-come-the-next-election-survey/.
