A Historic Swearing-In at the National Assembly
Fifty-nine Parti Québécois members of the National Assembly were sworn in at Quebec City on Wednesday, marking a pivotal step toward the PQ officially forming its first minority government in decades. Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stood visibly moved — tears in his eyes — as each newly elected MNA pledged loyalty to the people of Quebec and committed to upholding the province’s laws. Supporters packed the room, chanting “Quebec, a country” as the ceremony unfolded, reflecting both the euphoria of an unexpected electoral surge and the weight of the governing responsibility now before the party.
The swearing-in was notable for what it did not include: an oath to the monarchy. St-Pierre Plamondon pointed out that this marked the first time a governing party at the National Assembly had taken office without pledging allegiance to the Crown. That change became possible after the National Assembly amended its rules in 2022 — a reform that followed St-Pierre Plamondon’s own refusal, that same year, to swear loyalty to Canada’s reigning monarch. He recalled Wednesday that some MNAs had previously taken the oath with their fingers crossed behind their backs, or simply mumbled through it. “Behind closed doors, everyone was criticizing and calling out the odious nature of the process,” he said.
From Three Seats to Government: A Remarkable Turnaround
The scale of the PQ’s transformation over the past three years is difficult to overstate. When only three PQ members were sworn in after the 2022 election, the party appeared to be a diminished force in Quebec politics. The caucus subsequently grew through four byelection victories, and then, on October 5, the party won 59 of the legislature’s 125 seats with 28 per cent of the popular vote — enough to form a minority government, though short of the 64-seat majority threshold. The PQ has requested judicial recounts in two ridings where its candidates finished second, which could bring it closer to that threshold.
St-Pierre Plamondon used his speech Wednesday to acknowledge the candidates and supporters whose work made the result possible, while reminding freshly elected members that holding public office carries genuine responsibility. He also noted that the overwhelming majority of the new PQ caucus arrives at the National Assembly without prior legislative experience, a reality the party is moving to address by enlisting former premier Pauline Marois and Jean Royer — former chief of staff to the late premier Jacques Parizeau — to help train the new MNAs.
A Caucus Blending New Faces with Seasoned Veterans
Despite the influx of newcomers, the caucus does include several experienced political figures. Joël Arseneau and Pascal Bérubé were re-elected to the National Assembly, bringing continuity to the PQ benches. Nicolas Marceau, who previously served as finance minister under Marois, returns to the legislature after winning the riding of Marie-Victorin. Alain Therrien also rejoins provincial politics after a stint as a Bloc Québécois member of Parliament in Ottawa, adding federal legislative experience to the caucus’s collective depth.
Governing Without a Majority — and Reaching Across the Aisle
St-Pierre Plamondon was candid about the challenges of minority governance, pledging that his government would nonetheless work to deliver on its platform commitments. Those include cutting government spending, addressing the cost of living, improving the education system, and protecting Quebec culture and language. He framed cross-partisan cooperation not as a concession but as a democratic imperative. “We’re going to reach out to the opposition because Quebecers want their legislature to work,” he said, while also striking a sovereigntist note by closing his remarks with “Vive le Québec libre.”
St-Pierre Plamondon has previously committed to holding a referendum on Quebec sovereignty after 2029, once U.S. President Donald Trump has left the White House — though he made no reference to that pledge during Wednesday’s ceremony. The focus, for now, remains on forming a functional government. He is scheduled to unveil his cabinet and officially take office on October 21. Representatives of the Liberal, Conservative, and Québec solidaire parties are set to be sworn in next week, with Liberal Leader Charles Milliard already signalling in a radio interview Tuesday that he has “no intention” of swearing an oath to the King.
