Now that François Legault has formally stepped down, Quebec has a brand new premier, and there is a lot to find out about her.
Christine Fréchette made historical past on Sunday after successful the CAQ leadership race with 57.9% of the vote, defeating her solely rival, Bernard Drainville, who obtained 42.1%. With that, she grew to become the province’s subsequent premier — at the very least till this fall’s provincial election.
This is what it’s best to know concerning the girl now main Quebec.
She’s solely the second girl to carry the job
Fréchette’s win places her in uncommon firm. She’s simply the second girl in Quebec historical past to function premier, following Pauline Marois, who led a Parti Québécois authorities from 2012 to 2014.
She’s a Gen X premier
At 55, Fréchette was born in 1970 and got here of age throughout a turbulent interval in Quebec’s historical past. In her victory speech, she leaned into that identification, referencing the failed referendums, constitutional impasses, recessions, and excessive unemployment that outlined her era’s early life. “That is the start of a brand new wind,” she instructed supporters.
She rose rapidly by means of Legault’s cupboard
Fréchette was first elected because the MNA for Sanguinet within the 2022 provincial election and did not wait lengthy to make her mark. Legault appointed her Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration shortly after, and when financial minister Pierre Fitzgibbon stepped down in September 2024, she absorbed a lot of his portfolio — successfully changing into the federal government’s strongest minister. She held that position till asserting her management bid in January.
Her background is in economics and worldwide relations
A Trois-Rivières native, Fréchette studied at HEC Montréal earlier than incomes a grasp’s diploma in worldwide relations from Université Laval in 1994. Her tutorial concentrate on economics and worldwide commerce turned out to be a fairly good basis for what got here subsequent.
She spent years on the centre of Montreal’s enterprise group
Earlier than getting into politics, Fréchette constructed a profession on the intersection of enterprise and public life. She served as director of exterior and institutional relations at Montréal Worldwide, then as CEO of the Chambre de commerce de l’Est de Montréal from 2016 to 2021. She additionally contributed as a Radio-Canada columnist and labored on a personalised well being innovation zone venture earlier than working for workplace in 2022.
She’s a spouse and mom
On a extra private observe, Fréchette is married to Man Nadeau, a vice-president at Desjardins Entreprises Montréal, and the 2 have a son named Olivier.
This story was tailored from the article, “Christine Fréchette est élue cheffe de la CAQ et devient première ministre du Québec,” which was initially revealed on Narcity Quebec.