These ends of reign which are not alike

In Montreal, Valérie Plante promises a clean city and beautiful construction sites… after seven years in office.

In Washington, Joe Biden adopted a whole series of measures before handing over his office to Donald Trump. In Ottawa, Justin Trudeau is rather stuck with a Parliament that he himself closed… and limited room for maneuver to conclude his mandate.

The end of a reign is a fascinating period in political life. Leaders want to fulfill unfulfilled promises, polish their legacy or leave poisoned gifts to the next administration. And it is not uncommon for their latest actions to arouse cynicism – justified or not – among the population.

The current political landscape is unique in that several leaders have left or will leave their seats without the desire or possibility of seeking re-election. This changes the way they govern.

To what extent are these politicians working for the image they will leave rather than for the public good? I wanted to discuss it with experts.

Geneviève Tellier, a professor at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa, is interested in “electoral cycles” – the way politicians use the time allocated to them to govern.

You only need to see the number of decrees signed on Monday by Donald Trump to be convinced.

Professor Tellier thus observes that a right-wing government generally rushes to make cuts when it takes power, while a left-wing government spends.

But there is also a lot of action at the end of the mandate. Few governments resist the temptation to open the floodgates of public finances in order to seduce the electorate in the hope of being re-elected. “This is where it catches up with the conservatives and the right-wing parties, because it’s a bit unnatural,” she emphasizes.

M^me Tellier also gives the example of the provincial liberal government of Philippe Couillard which, after having held the purse strings extremely tight at the start of his mandate, then loosened them.

What about when a politician doesn’t run for re-election and therefore isn’t motivated by re-election?

“Often, it gives him free rein,” estimates Geneviève Tellier.

Thierry Giasson, director of the political science department at Laval University, notes that this can also cause a sense of urgency. He gives the example of Joe Biden who, just a year ago, hoped to remain president.

“When we launch an electoral campaign, we must present achievements to the population, but also projects for which there is still action to be done,” he underlines.

Joe Biden had therefore kept projects to be accomplished beyond 2025. Seeing the release coming faster than expected, he tried to accelerate their completion. In his last days in power, the 46^e US president has banned oil drilling in 625 million acres of federal waters. He canceled clauses that undermined the social security benefits of millions of public service retirees. He expanded veterans’ benefits, canceled student debt, strengthened sanctions against Russia.

“There is something else that comes along, and that is the desire to leave your mark. To be associated with emblematic achievements, to make history,” believes Thierry Giasson.

This frenzy of the home stretch sometimes fuels cynicism. Why did Joe Biden wait until January 2025, for example, to lift Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism?

Valérie Plante, who chose not to run again in the next municipal elections, suffered the same criticism by recently revealing her priorities for her last year in office. Make Montreal clean and construction sites less ugly? Of course, better late than never. But why only now?

Thierry Giasson considers the criticism unfair, emphasizing that M^me Plante has already devoted a lot of effort to most of his end-of-term priorities. He believes that she acts above all to leave a better record for the person who will succeed her within the party.

Maybe I’m a bit more cynical, but I wonder if M^me Plante is also not concerned about her legacy. If she leaves a city dirty and disfigured by construction sites when she leaves town hall, isn’t that what we risk remembering from her reign?

And Justin Trudeau? Let’s say that its room for maneuver to restore its image is considerably reduced. He prorogued Parliament to prevent elections from being called while his party is looking for a leader, which prevents it from legislating.

And then, the end of a reign can also be an opportunity to trip up the successor. On his very last day as president, Joe Biden offered preemptive pardons to several people he feared Donald Trump would pursue legally.

Thierry Giasson recalls that before leaving, Pierre Trudeau had made numerous political appointments of all kinds. Geneviève Tellier also points out that Justin Trudeau, who initiated a reform to make the Senate less partisan, nevertheless recently appointed senators clearly painted red.

Professor Tellier believes that certain legacies of Mr. Trudeau will remain, like his child allowances, too popular to be abolished. Others, like dental insurance, are too recent to have had time to be considered essential by the population.

Several motivations jostle in the minds of politicians who see the end coming. And sometimes their latest actions make you want to quote Leonard Cohen. “Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye!” »

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