Quebec Premier François Legault announces resignation

National Post
Premier Francois Legault gives remarks at an election event in Victoriaville, Que., on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.

Stay tuned to this live blog throughout the day. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

What you need to know

  • Opposition salutes Legault
  • Legault quits
  • CAQ to meet tonight on future leader
  • Another devastating poll for the CAQ
  • Legault is Canada’s least popular premier

Watch Legault’s announcement

Opposition salutes Legault

Reaction to Legault’s announcement is pouring in.

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Legault “has always been sincere in his desire to improve the fate of the Quebec nation.” He praised the premier’s “determination to advance Quebec’s interests and preserve its linguistic and cultural distinctiveness.”

Charles Milliard, expected to become the next leader of the Quebec Liberals, saluted Legault’s “steadfast political commitment over the past 25 years.”

Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime said Legault accomplished “something significant in Quebec politics: pulling us out of the divisions between sovereigntists and federalists that the PQ and the Liberals dream of dragging us back into.” But he said Legault failed to achieve his other goals, including reducing the size of the state, cutting taxes and eliminating the deficit.

Québec solitaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal said: “Regardless of our political differences, I want to emphasize François Legault’s commitment to Quebec and the work he has accomplished over the years.”

From Ottawa, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet praised Legault’s “commitment in the service of Quebec and the momentum he helped build toward economic and linguistic nationalism, and toward respect for our distinctiveness.”

Legault quits

From Philip Authier in Quebec City:

François Legault is officially resigning as premier of Quebec and leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec.

He made the announcement on Wednesday morning at the provincial legislature.

“I see many Quebecers want change, including a change of premier,” he said.

Legault, 68, announced his departure with his wife Isabelle Brais and most of his close staff standing at his side. He repeated he is proud of the work he has done over two mandates since he became premier in 2018.

“I am resigning for the good of the party but above all the good of Quebec,” he said.

Legault took no questions but got a round of applause from his staff as he finished his address.

“Being the premier of Quebec was the greatest honour of my life,” he said.

Legault said he will stay on until a new leader is chosen.

CAQ to meet tonight on future leader

Brigitte Legault, director-general of the party, told reporters that the CAQ’s executive will meet tonight to decide the road ahead, Philip Authier reports.

Another devastating poll for the CAQ

A new public opinion poll published just before François Legault announced his departure shows that the premier’s efforts to reboot his Coalition Avenir Québec government before the next election are thus far not working.

The poll, produced for The Walrus, shows the Parti Québécois in the lead with 34 per cent support, a two-point drop from the previous Pallas poll in November.

The Quebec Liberals, despite recent turmoil and the resignation of leader Pablo Rodriguez in December, are second with 24 per cent support. In third place are the Quebec Conservatives with 16 per cent support.

The CAQ and Québec solidaire are tied for fourth place with 11 per cent.

Read our full story, by Philip Authier.

Legault is Canada’s least popular premier

Once Canada’s most popular premier, François Legault is now the least popular.

His popularity peaked in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it fell sharply in the ensuing years. A poll this month found that 75 per cent of Quebecers had a negative opinion.

 

Approval of Quebec Premier François Legault. Source: Angus Reid Institute.

No English in speech

In keeping with his established practice, François Legault did not speak English during his departure announcement. He normally takes questions in English at press conferences, but reporters were not given the opportunity in this case.

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