The 2022 provincial election in Quebec

Abstract

The 2022 Quebec provincial election reaffirmed the Coalition Avenir Québec’s (CAQ) dominance under Premier François Legault, who secured a second majority government with 90 seats and 41% of the vote. The campaign followed the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, with Legault benefiting from public approval of his pandemic management. The CAQ’s platform focused on economic relief, healthcare, and nationalist policies, while opposition parties—PLQ, PQ, QS, and PCQ—struggled with fragmentation and controversies. The PLQ and PQ continued their decline, while QS seemed to reach a ceiling and the PCQ saw a significant rise in vote share without winning seats. The election highlighted distortions in Quebec’s single-member plurality electoral system and renewed calls for electoral reform. New parties emerged in response to Bill 96, advocating for anglophone rights. The campaign also saw a record number of Indigenous candidates, signaling growing political inclusion.