The premier of Quebec (
French: ''premier ministre du Québec'' (masculine) or ''première ministre du Québec'' (feminine)) is the
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...
of the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. The current
premier of Quebec is
François Legault
François Legault (; born May 26, 1957) is a Canadian politician serving as the 32nd premier of Quebec since 2018. A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), he has led the party since its founding in 2011. Legault sits as a member of the ...
of the
Coalition Avenir Québec, sworn in on October 18, 2018, following
that year's election.
Selection and qualifications
The premier of Quebec is appointed as president of the
Executive Council by the
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the viceregal representative of the
Queen in Right of Quebec. The premier is most usually the head of the party winning the most seats in the
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; french: link=no, déput ...
and is normally a sitting member of the National Assembly. An exception to this rule occurs when the winning party's leader fails to win a riding. In that case, the premier would have to attain a seat by winning a by-election. This has happened, for example, to
Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa (; July 14, 1933 – October 2, 1996) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd premier of Quebec from 1970 to 1976 and from 1985 to 1994. A member of the Liberal Party of Quebec, he served a total of just un ...
in 1985.
The role of the premier of Quebec is to set the legislative priorities on the opening speech of the National Assembly. The premier represents the leading party and must have the confidence of the assembly, as expressed by votes on budgets and other matters considered as confidence votes.
The term "premier" is used in English, while French employs "premier ministre", which translates directly to "prime minister". In at least one instance, the term "Prime Minister of the Province of Quebec" was used in an English-language advertisement.
The term is also used for the Podium Ceremony of the annual Formula One Grand Prix du Canada in Montreal.
History
The premiers of Quebec are chosen according to the principle of
responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...
.
See also
*
Politics of Quebec
The politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of Quebec is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Pr ...
*
List of premiers of Quebec
This is a list of the premiers of the province of Quebec since Canadian Confederation in 1867. Quebec uses a unicameral (originally bicameral) Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that con ...
*
List of premiers of Quebec by time in office
This is a list of premiers of Quebec in order of time served in office as premier of Quebec as of . The current premier always stays in office during an election campaign, and that time is included in the total.
Other information
{{Canadian ...
*
Prime Minister of Canada
The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...
*
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier ( ) is the head of government of a province or territory. Though the word is merely a synonym for ''prime minister'', it is employed for provincial prime ministers to differentiate them from the prime minister of Canada. Th ...
References
External links
Premier of Quebec official site
{{Politics of Canadian provinces
*
Government of Quebec
1867 establishments in Quebec