François Legault, who founded the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2011 and has led the party since its inception, stepped down as Premier of Quebec in January 2026. His departure has set the stage for a significant leadership transition within the party.
In a decisive move, Christine Fréchette has been named the new leader of the CAQ and will be sworn in as Quebec’s premier. Fréchette, a former Parti Québécois staffer, was elected as a CAQ member of the National Assembly for Sanguinet in 2022.
The leadership race saw Fréchette and Bernard Drainville as the only candidates, with 15,800 members casting their votes. Fréchette focused her campaign on economic issues, particularly shale gas and hydraulic fracturing, while Drainville aimed to position himself as a defender of Quebec’s identity and advocate for stricter immigration policies.
Fréchette expressed her gratitude to the party members, stating, “I am so happy and proud that you put your trust in me.” She emphasized the need for a new kind of leadership, saying, “Today we’re moving on to a new step. You voted for a new generation.”
Despite the leadership change, the CAQ is currently polling at just nine percent of the vote, with poll aggregator Qc125 predicting they will win zero seats in the upcoming election. This raises questions about the party’s future and its ability to maintain influence in Quebec politics.
Jean-Marc Léger, a political analyst, noted the implications of the leadership race, stating, “What will happen in the CAQ will have a lot of impact on the provincial election and of course whether the referendum follows that election.”
As Fréchette prepares to take office, observers are closely watching how her leadership will shape the party’s direction and its electoral prospects against the backdrop of a challenging political landscape.