Legault’s resignation leaves ‘a big vacuum’ as Quebec gears up for an election amid two leadership races, say politicos

The test for the CAQ will be its ability to hang onto political relevance without the leadership of its founder, Quebec Premier François Legault, says former CAQ government staffer Antonine Yaccarini.

Quebec Premier François Legault announced his resignation on Jan. 14, leaving the party he founded, the CAQ, to elect a new leader months ahead of a provincial election, currently set for the end of October.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY ELEANOR WAND

January 15, 2026

Quebec Premier François Legault’s resignation is not “totally surprising” as the two-term premier’s popularity had been falling for some time, say observers, but his exit is leaving “a lot of unpredictability” ahead of this year's provincial election, which the ...

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