Parti Québécois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parti Québécois
Abbreviation	PQ
Leader	Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
President	Catherine Gentilcore
Founders	René Lévesque Gilles Grégoire
Founded	11 October 1968; 56 years ago (1968-10-11)
Merger of	Mouvement Souveraineté-Association, Ralliement national, Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
Headquarters	1200, avenue Papineau Suite 150 Montreal, Quebec H2K 4R5
Membership (March 9, 2022)	42,665
Ideology	Quebec nationalism Quebec sovereigntism Social democracy Republicanism Economic nationalism
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	Bloc Québécois (informal)
International affiliation	COPPPAL (observer)
Colours	Blue
Seats in the National Assembly	5 / 125

The Parti Québécois (often called the PQ) is a political party in Quebec, Canada. This party wants Quebec to become an independent country. They also believe in social democratic ideas, which means they support things like social programs and helping people.

The PQ wants Quebec to be a sovereign state, meaning it would be its own country. They have also talked about a "sovereignty-association." This means Quebec would be independent but still have close ties with Canada, especially for trade and economy. People who support the PQ are called péquistes.

The party is connected to the Bloc Québécois (BQ). The BQ is a federal party that also wants Quebec to separate from Canada. Even though they have similar goals, the two parties are not officially linked.

History of the Parti Québécois

The Parti Québécois was formed in 1968. It was created when a few groups joined together. One of these groups was started by René Lévesque, who used to be a minister for another party.

The main goal of the PQ was to give Quebec more control over its own politics, economy, and social life. René Lévesque suggested using referendums (a public vote on a single issue) to achieve this goal.

First Government under René Lévesque

The PQ first ran in an election in 1970 and won seven seats. In 1973, they became the Official Opposition. This means they were the second-largest party in the government.

In the 1976 election, the Parti Québécois won for the first time! They won 71 out of 110 seats. René Lévesque became the Premier (the leader of the province). Many French-speaking Quebecers were very happy. However, some English-speaking people and businesses moved away from Quebec.

The first PQ government had many smart people, including professors. They were the first government to recognize the rights of Indigenous peoples in Quebec. They also passed laws about how political parties get money, making it fairer.

The most famous law passed by the PQ was the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101). This law made French the main public language in Quebec. It helped French-speaking people get more management jobs. Before this, English was often used in many businesses. Some people criticized this law because it limited where students could go to English-language schools.

In 1980, the Parti Québécois held a referendum. They asked people if they wanted Quebec to negotiate for sovereignty-association. About 60% of voters said no.

The party won the 1981 election again. But in 1984, there was a big disagreement within the party. René Lévesque wanted to focus more on governing Quebec and be less strict about sovereignty. This made some strong supporters of sovereignty upset. Lévesque decided to resign. Pierre-Marc Johnson became the new leader in 1985.

The PQ lost the 1985 election to the Quebec Liberal Party. The Liberals tried to make a deal about Quebec's place in Canada, but it didn't work out. This made the idea of Quebec sovereignty popular again.

Return to Power with Jacques Parizeau

The PQ came back to power in 1994 with Jacques Parizeau as leader. He was a strong supporter of sovereignty. The PQ won 77 seats and promised to hold another independence referendum within a year.

In 1995, Parizeau called the second referendum on sovereignty. Again, the "no" side won, but it was very close. About 49.42% of voters supported negotiations that could lead to sovereignty. After the loss, Premier Parizeau resigned.

Lucien Bouchard's Government

Lucien Bouchard became the new leader of the PQ and Premier. He decided not to hold another referendum because he felt the conditions weren't right to win. His government worked to balance Quebec's budget by reducing government spending.

The PQ won the 1998 election again. Bouchard resigned in 2001, and Bernard Landry became the new leader and Premier. However, the party lost the 2003 election to the Liberals.

Back in Opposition

After losing the election, Bernard Landry faced challenges as leader. He resigned in 2005. André Boisclair was elected as the new leader.

Some people on the left side of the PQ felt the party was moving too much to the right. In 2006, a new left-wing party called Québec solidaire was formed. This party attracted many people who used to support the PQ. At the same time, other parties like the Coalition Avenir Québec attracted voters who were less focused on sovereignty. This meant the PQ was losing support from both sides.

In the 2007 election, the PQ won only 36 seats. This was the first time since 1973 that they were not the government or the Official Opposition. André Boisclair resigned as leader in May 2007.

Former PQ leader Pauline Marois greets voters in Quebec City on the eve of the 2012 general election.

Pauline Marois became the new leader of the PQ in June 2007. In 2011, some members left the party because they disagreed with certain decisions.

Pauline Marois and Minority Government

In the 2012 election, the PQ won a minority government with 54 seats. This means they didn't have more than half the seats, so they needed support from other parties to pass laws.

The government focused on using French more in public services. A big part of their plan was the Quebec Charter of Values. This proposed law would have stopped government employees from wearing religious symbols like turbans or veils.

In 2014, Marois called an early election, hoping to win a majority government. However, the campaign had some difficulties. The party lost the 2014 election to the Liberals. The PQ won only 30 seats, their worst result since 1970. Pauline Marois lost her own seat and resigned as leader.

Recent Challenges and Changes

Pierre Karl Péladeau was elected as the new leader in May 2015. But he resigned in May 2016 to spend more time with his family. Jean-François Lisée became the leader in October 2016.

For the 2018 election, the PQ said they would not hold a referendum on sovereignty until at least 2022. This was a big change. In this election, the Coalition Avenir Québec won a majority government. The PQ won only 10 seats, their lowest number since 1970. They also lost their official status in the legislature. This meant they didn't have enough seats to be recognized as a major party.

Jean-François Lisée lost his seat and resigned as leader. Many wondered if the party would survive. In 2019, Catherine Fournier, a young PQ member, left the party to sit as an independent.

In October 2020, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was elected as the new leader of the Parti Québécois.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's Leadership

The 2022 election was another difficult one for the PQ. They won only three seats, their lowest ever. They again lost their official party status. However, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon won his own seat.

In December 2022, the three PQ members were not allowed into the Quebec legislature at first. This was because they refused to swear an oath to the King, which was required by law. A new law was passed in December 2022 that removed this requirement, allowing them to enter the legislature in early 2023.

After the 2022 election, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon received strong support from his party members in a confidence vote in March 2023.

Since the 2022 election, the PQ has seen an increase in support in public opinion polls. On October 2, 2023, the PQ won a fourth seat in a special election. On March 17, 2025, the PQ won its fifth seat in another special election.

Relationship with the Bloc Québécois

The Bloc Québécois (BQ) is a federal political party. It was started in 1990 by Lucien Bouchard. The BQ and the Parti Québécois have always been very close. They share the same main goal: Quebec sovereignty.

The two parties often support each other during elections. They also share many members and voters. Leaders from both parties often speak at each other's events. For example, Gilles Duceppe, a former Bloc leader, is the son of Jean Duceppe, who helped start the PQ.

Policies and Stances

The main focus of the Parti Québécois is to protect the French-speaking identity of Quebec. Their biggest goal is to achieve sovereignty for Quebec.

The PQ also supports the Quebec ban on face coverings in public services. They believe it helps protect Quebec's values.

Branding

Logo of the party from 1985 to 2007

Logo of the party from 2007 to 2021

Logo

The PQ's unique logo was designed in 1968 by Roland Giguère. It looks like a blue circle with a red arrow breaking through it. The designer said it means the Parti Québécois is breaking free from what he called "colonialism" and opening Quebec to the world and the future.

The party has changed its logo only a few times. In 1985, the circle and arrow became a bit thicker. In 2007, the logo was updated, and the tail of the "Q" was colored green. In 2021, a new logo was introduced that includes the fleur-de-lis (a symbol of Quebec) within the letter "Q".

Slogans

Here are some slogans the Parti Québécois has used in their election campaigns:

• 1970: OUI – Yes
• 1973: J'ai le goût du Québec – I have a taste for Quebec
• 1976: On a besoin d'un vrai gouvernement – We need a real government
• 1981: Faut rester forts au Québec – We must remain strong in Quebec
• 1985: Le Québec avec Johnson – Quebec with Johnson
• 1989: Je prends le parti du Québec – I'm choosing Quebec's party
• 1994: L'autre façon de gouverner – The other way of governing
• 1998: J'ai confiance – I am confident
• 2003: Restons forts – Let us stay strong
• 2007: Reconstruisons notre Québec – Let us rebuild our Quebec
• 2008: Québec gagnant avec Pauline – Quebec winning with Pauline
• 2012: À nous de choisir – The choice is ours
• 2014: Plus prospère, plus fort, plus indépendant, plus accueillant – More prosperous, stronger, more independent, more welcoming
• 2018: Sérieusement – Seriously
• 2022: Le Québec qui s'assume. Pour vrai. – A Quebec that accepts itself. For real.

Election results

General election	Leader	# of seats won	Change +/-	% of popular vote	Result
1970	René Lévesque	7 / 108	7	23.06%	No status
1973		6 / 110	1	30.22%	Official Opposition
1976		71 / 110	65	41.37%	Majority
1981		80 / 122	9	49.26%	Majority
1985	Pierre-Marc Johnson	23 / 122	57	38.69%	Official Opposition
1989	Jacques Parizeau	29 / 125	6	40.16%	Official Opposition
1994		77 / 125	48	44.75%	Majority
1998	Lucien Bouchard	76 / 125	1	42.87%	Majority
2003	Bernard Landry	45 / 125	29	33.24%	Official Opposition
2007	André Boisclair	36 / 125	9	28.35%	Third Party
2008	Pauline Marois	51 / 125	15	35.17%	Official Opposition
2012		54 / 125	3	31.95%	Minority
2014		30 / 125	24	25.38%	Official Opposition
2018	Jean-François Lisée	10 / 125	20	17.06%	Third Party
2022	Paul St-Pierre Plamondon	3 / 125	7	14.61%	No status

Party leaders

The leader of the Parti Québécois used to be called the President until 2005.

Leaders in the legislature

Sometimes, the party leader doesn't have a seat in the National Assembly. In those cases, another member leads the party there.

Party presidents

The Party President used to be called the First Vice-president until 2005.

Leadership elections

• Parti Québécois leadership elections
• 1985 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2005 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2007 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2015 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2016 Parti Québécois leadership election
• 2020 Parti Québécois leadership election

See also

In Spanish: Partido Quebequés para niños

• SPQ Libre
• Parti Québécois Crisis, 1984
• Politics of Quebec
• History of Quebec
• List of political parties in Quebec
• Sovereigntist events and strategies
• Secessionist movements of Canada
• Parti Québécois leadership elections