The Parti nationaliste du Québec was founded by supporters of the Parti Québécois after the Social Credit Party of Canada imploded in Quebec as a means of giving PQ supporters an alternative to federalist parties. The party was undermined by the success of Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservatives in building a coalition with Quebec nationalists to defeat the federal Liberals. The Parti nationaliste never won any seats but is seen by many as a predecessor to the Bloc Québécois.

The Parti Nationaliste was founded by Marcel Léger , who became its interim leader on September 14 1983 until May 17 1984. Léger was one of the first Parti Québécois members elected to the National Assembly in 1970. He was appointed Minister of the Environment in the first PQ cabinet in 1976, but was dropped from Cabinet in 1982. He was replaced as interim leader by Denis Monière , who was defeated in the 1984 Canadian election that brought Brian Mulroney to power.

Monière went on to help found the Parti indépendantiste in 1985, which was a Quebec provincial party rather than a federal party.

See also

• List of Canadian political parties
• Secessionist movements of Canada