The mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, surprised many on Wednesday evening when she announced that she would speak to the media Thursday morning to take stock of her political future.
“She does a good job,” said a citizen who hopes that the mayor will not announce her resignation.
“I like the fact that it’s transparent,” says one woman. She is open about what she experiences from the point of view of a city mayor and then we hear a lot of things. It seems unhealthy sometimes.”
“It’s been several [mairesses] who want to resign from their position, notes another woman. If this is it, if not what is it? We are curious to know.”
And even at city hall, the people who were met by TVA Nouvelles, including some from his own party, did not seem to be informed of the news.
The elected official announced Wednesday evening an “important press conference” which will take place at 10:30 a.m. in a location that remains to be determined.
Politician
The former Parti Québécois (PQ) MP made the leap into municipal politics in 2021, winning the Longueuil town hall at the age of 29.
She won the election with 61.3% of the votes, far ahead of her rivals.
Previously, Catherine Fournier had been a federal candidate for the Bloc Québécois in 2015. The following year, she was elected provincially, during a by-election in the riding of Marie-Victorin, left vacant by the resignation of Bernard Drainville.
At the age of 24, she became the youngest deputy in the history of the National Assembly.
Re-elected in 2018 with only a little more than 700 votes ahead of Martyne Prévost, of the CAQ, Catherine Fournier was one of the 10 survivors from her party and the only one in the metropolitan region.
A few months later, on March 11, 2019, the MP announced that she was leaving the Parti Québécois to sit as an independent. In spring 2021, she indicated her desire to be a candidate for mayor of Longueuil.
In April 2023, the mayor lifted the publication ban protecting her identity in the sexual assault trial against PQ MP Harold LeBel, revealing at the same time that she had been a victim of the fallen politician.
A difficult environment
Catherine Fournier would not be alone if she decided not to run in the next elections.
This was also the case of Valérie Plante at the City of Montreal who made the announcement almost two weeks ago.
Last May, the mayor of Sherbrooke, Evelyne Beaudin, also mentioned that she would not run again.
And earlier this year, France Bélisle, the former mayor of Gatineau, resigned, pointing out the hostile environment in which municipal elected officials must work.
