Talks between the Quebec government and students have been suspended after four days of negotiations, prompting speculations about an early election in the province.
However, Premier Jean Charest downplayed the vote's imminence.
"Ultimately there will be an election within 18 months," he told reporters. "It will happen in a democratic context that will allow us to state our case on these issues. It's up to the silent majority to express itself."
With the Liberal government in the fourth year of its mandate, an election should be held by late 2013.
Francois Legault of the Coalition For Quebec's Future suggested Charest should announce plans for an election in the fall to ease tensions.
Talks collapsed after student groups said that all the government offered was a $35 discount on tuition hikes.
The government was also refusing to rescind a controversial law that restricts protests, students said.
"Obviously we're disappointed. I would have greatly preferred to come to an agreement," Charest said.
However, the students said they're open to resume talks when the government wants.
We're still here. We're always ready to negotiate," said one of the four main student leaders, Martine Desjardins.
Thursday night, protesters marched again along the streets of Montreal. In Quebec City, police said they moved in to arrest several people for throwing projectiles at officers.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Education Minister Michelle Courchesne said the talks with student associations "have been done with seriousness and openness on both sides."
"The tone has remained courteous and respectful. However, what we were hoping for was to identify the blockage to balance this for all Quebec taxpayers, and what we wanted was to put an end to this crisis," she said.
Meanwhile, the student leaders announced plans for further protests this weekend, saying they would use summer tourist events, including Montreal's Grand Prix race, to draw attention to their cause.
Charest said the student group CLASSE threatened the car race during negotiations.
"I think Quebecers will be in my view quite severe on that kind of behaviour," he said.
The government has been under pressure to end months of street protests with tourism dollars at stake.
The students rejected a government proposal to lower the yearly tuition increase to $219 over seven years, $35 lower than a previous offer rejected by students.
According to Courchesne, the government subsequently proposed a plan that would cut tuition fees by $100 in the first year before increasing to $254 in the following six years.
She said the students suggested cutting back education tax credits and doing away with an education savings incentive program for middle class families. Although reduced tax credits would be beneficial to students, they would not help those in technical or professional training, Courchesne said.
"There was a limit about what we could accept on a tax reduction and we couldn't ask that it be done for the sole benefit of university students."
In the end, it was the students' rejection of all tuition fee increases that stalled, Courchesne said.
"For them it was the freeze, the moratorium or nothing."
Students said they proposed a two-year tuition freeze.
Originally, the government had proposed to increase tuition to $325 annually over five years, making annual tuition cost $3,800 by 2017.
With files from The Canadian Press
