Seize03 - 13 April 2026
Christine Fréchette Becomes Premier in a Quebec Undergoing Political Realignment
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is turning a major page in its history. Designated premier, Christine Fréchette will be sworn in shortly and will thus become the second woman to serve as premier in Quebec’s history.
The challenge ahead of her is considerable. A leadership race is always a delicate exercise for a political party, laying bare its internal divisions and rivalries. The task of uniting the party’s ranks that now falls to the new leader could prove difficult, given the fractures left by the last race and the dissatisfaction of a significant portion of the caucus, which had instead supported Bernard Drainville.
A New Cabinet
The arrival of a new premier goes hand in hand with a new cabinet. Ministers who supported her (Éric Girard, Ian Lafrenière, Jean‑François Roberge, Gilles Bélanger, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Mathieu Lacombe and Benoit Charrette) will likely retain their ministry. Conversely, figures who chose to back Bernard Drainville could find themselves in a more precarious position. Her challenge: to reward loyalty, open the door to new faces, preserve the government’s regional and political balance, all while avoiding the reopening of internal rifts within the caucus.
CAQ in Survival Mode
By choosing Christine Fréchette to succeed François Legault, the party is not merely changing leaders. Less than six months before the general election, it is attempting to correct a deeply unfavorable political trajectory. The most recent Léger poll places the CAQ under her leadership far behind its rivals, at 13% of voting intentions among decided voters, compared with 33% for the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and 32% for the Parti Québécois (PQ).
Her election comes at a moment when the very structure of Quebec’s political competition has changed. The PLQ, led by Charles Milliard, has regained ground and is once again a credible option for part of the centrist electorate. The PQ, meanwhile, continues to consolidate its lead among francophone voters. The CAQ now finds itself caught in a vise, losing support both to a PLQ that once again appears reassuring to voters seeking stability and to a PQ that is broadening its appeal beyond strictly sovereigntist voters.
To be sure, Christine Fréchette improves the CAQ’s brand. She can certainly help make the party more acceptable to part of the moderate electorate. But the party’s difficulty no longer stems solely from a leadership issue. After eight years in power, the CAQ appears to be facing something heavier than a simple image problem—namely, genuine political fatigue.
Fréchette Between Continuity and Repositioning
During the race, she distinguished herself from both her opponent and her predecessor in several ways, projecting an image that was at once more measured and more human, particularly on the issue of immigration. By proposing the temporary reactivation of the Quebec Experience Program, she marked a shift, including relative to François Legault’s position on this particularly polarizing issue. Her criticism of Bill 1 on the Constitution also illustrates this stance, notably by siding with numerous women’s groups that denounced Article 29 relating to abortion. Her openness to analyzing a possible return to shale gas exploration has also sparked extensive debate and could become a politically explosive issue.
Her arrival is good news for Montreal’s South Shore, where she represents the riding of Sanguinet. Propelled by the regions, the CAQ has often been criticized for sidelining Montreal. Christine Fréchette’s accession to the head of government could thus be interpreted as a form of rebalancing in favor of Greater Montreal, particularly its southern crown.
The prorogation of Parliament has halted the work of the National Assembly and put several files on hold, effectively forcing a partial reset of the legislative agenda. For First Nations, this may represent an opportunity to reopen certain debates differently, particularly around natural resources and the forestry regime provided the new government chooses to seize it. Yet, Christine Fréchette has so far remained remarkably discreet on Indigenous issues, as her victory speech outlining her priorities made no mention of First Nations.
The Real Test Begins
Could Fréchette’s arrival alone reverse the trend and produce a “Carney effect”? Will Quebec voters be won over next October by this reassuring figure of an experienced manager embodying both stability and competence? Time will tell. The Fréchette test will therefore not only be one of leadership, but also of a late‑cycle party’s ability to regain relevance before an election campaign sidelines it for the long term.