Last night, Sunday, April 12, 2026, the race for the leadership of Quebec’s ruling party—the CAQ (Coalition Avenir Québec)—concluded with the election of Christine Fréchette, who received 58% of the vote.
On January 14, 2026, Quebec Premier François Legault announced his resignation without notice. He remained in office, leading the ruling party—the CAQ—until Christine Fréchette’s election last night. She will serve as Quebec’s Premier until October 2026, when the next provincial election is scheduled.
Christine Fréchette will be only the second woman to serve as Premier of the province, following Pauline Marois from 2012 to 2014.
Christine Fréchette, the CAQ, and the leadership of Quebec
“You will not set Quebec back ten years”— Christine Fréchette, addressing the Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois. The former member of the Parti Québécois, who has long espoused nationalist policies, has supporters in several of the region’s opposition parties.
She is opposed to showboating politics, preferring a more measured and reserved approach, similar to that of Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada. In the current political climate—and in response to the bombastic politics of the United States —it seems that Quebecers and Canadians are choosing to elect politicians who are less flashy but who present a serious, economy-focused agenda.
She will be officially sworn in as Quebec’s premier this week.
The second woman to hold the position of Premier in Quebec
She is only the second woman to lead Quebec in the province’s entire history, following Quebec’s 30th Premier, Pauline Marois.
She served from 2012 to 2014 and led the Parti Québécois from 2007 to 2014. She was known as “the Iron Lady.”
Of course, Christine Fréchette wasn’t actually elected to the position of Premier—the vote that elected her to lead the province was a vote to choose the new leader of the CAQ following François Legault’s surprise resignation.
She could become one in October 2026, if she runs in the regional elections.
