Bloc Québécois << blahk `kay ` beh KWAH >> is a Canadian political party that supports sovereignty for the province of Quebec . From 1993 to 1997, the Bloc served as Canada’s official opposition party.
The Bloc Québécois was established in 1990 under the leadership of Lucien Bouchard , a former Canadian ambassador to France, minister of the environment, and member of the Progressive Conservative Party . The Bloc was founded shortly after the Meech Lake Accord failed to win the approval of all of Canada’s provinces. This accord had called for revising Canada’s constitution . Many Quebecers felt the constitution did not adequately protect their province’s French-Canadian heritage. The accord would have given more power to Quebec’s provincial government and recognized Quebec as a distinct society in Canada. After the accord’s defeat, some of Quebec’s discontented Liberal and Progressive Conservative members of Parliament organized under the name Bloc Québécois.
The Bloc Québécois established links with the Parti Québécois, a leading separatist party in Quebec’s National Assembly. In addition, the Bloc Québécois built a strong party organization throughout Quebec. The Bloc fared poorly in the 2011 national election, and its future became uncertain. But it made a strong comeback in the 2019 election.
