Christine Fréchette has been premier of Quebec for barely a week, yet her leadership is already being tested by defection within her own caucus. The departure of Gilles Bélanger, a former minister who walked out of the Coalition Avenir Québec after being excluded from the new cabinet, has forced Fréchette to publicly insist that “the troops remain united.” That phrase, delivered in Montreal, carried an edge of necessity rather than confidence. Another caucus member, Shirley Dorismond, is openly “reflecting on her future.” Viewed from Quebec City, the episode underscores the fragility of a new premier’s authority when the party’s internal factions have not entirely settled.

Fréchette becomes only the second woman to lead Quebec, after Pauline Marois — a milestone that carries symbolic weight but also heightened scrutiny. Her cabinet, sworn in on April 21, was described by her as a “heartbreaking” exercise in balancing regional representation and gender parity. Yet analysts in Montreal note that the real test lies not in the cabinet’s composition but in Fréchette’s ability to impose her own agenda. That agenda is already taking shape. On the contentious third link project, she has shifted from former premier François Legault’s central corridor to an eastern route. Bernard Drainville, now minister of the economy and a former rival who had dismissed her proposal as impossible, has publicly fallen into line, citing party discipline. The reversal signals that Fréchette is consolidating control over major infrastructure decisions.

A more delicate test lies in health policy. Santé Québec has approved the launch of pilot projects for the controversial Dossier Santé Numérique on May 9, despite sustained opposition from professional associations and opposition parties. Fréchette has promised to halt the rollout if she does not receive the guarantees she demands — a cautious stance that aims to preserve her reformist credentials while avoiding a political backlash. Across the province, meanwhile, Montreal residents woke this week to the acrid smell of burning plastic after a fire in Rivière-des-Prairies, likely sparked by a battery in a scrap metal pile. The environment ministry is assessing health risks, a reminder that the new premier must manage crises that are both political and environmental.

Forward-looking analysis suggests that Fréchette’s early weeks will define her premiership. She must hold her caucus together, deliver on signature projects, and maintain public trust amid opposition scrutiny. The defection of Bélanger may prove isolated, or it may be a symptom of deeper unease. What is clear is that the slogan of unity must now be matched by deeds.