The latest polls indicate a rise of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) of barely two or three percentage points in voting intentions, but this will have been enough to put a smile on the face of many activists.
Certainly, the news has been rather good for the PLQ lately. The most recent budget of the Minister of Finance, with a heavy deficit, gave impetus to Liberal interventions in the National Assembly, as few issues had succeeded in doing in recent years.
If the budgetary rigor or austerity of the Couillard government may have harmed the party’s image, they also allowed it to acquire a certain credibility in terms of public finance management, which the interim leader, Marc Tanguay, don’t hesitate to call back. The latter also seems more comfortable in the role of leader of the official opposition, now that he has clarified his intentions and given up on becoming permanent leader.
As for the rise of the Parti Québécois (PQ) in the polls, it is seen as a real blessing. The only thing the Liberals are afraid of now is that Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pushes the issue of sovereignty, to the point of scaring off voters. A fall of P.Q. would not bode well for the Liberals.
Behind the scenes, many activists also thank Denis Coderre for having finally succeeded in drawing attention to a leadership race which until now seemed to interest no one.
However, this does not mean that the candidacy of the former mayor of Montreal arouses real enthusiasm. In fact, its release, at the beginning of January, will have had the main benefit of encouraging those whose name was already circulating, within liberal circles, to hasten their reflection.
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Denis Coderre said he was thinking “seriously” about the leadership of the PLQ. (Archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Ivanoh Demers
Names on everyone’s lips
The potential candidacies of the mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, and the president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec, Charles Milliard, are, however, arousing a lot of interest.
Many activists project their greatest aspirations onto them, speaking as young talents that Quebecers are eager to discover. Neither has yet confirmed their interest, but the activists who publicly invited them to embark on the adventure seemed remarkably well organized.
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Young liberals have expressed the wish that Charles Milliard run for leadership of the PLQ.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Internally, however, we emphasize that the organizational talents of the former mayor of Montreal and the president of the Quebec Employers’ Council, Karl Blackburn (also anticipated), should not be neglected. Denis Coderre enjoys a reputation infinitely greater than that of his potential adversaries, while Mr. Blackburn has been in turn an MP, chief organizer and then general director of the Liberal Party.
In a race where all members will have the right to vote for the first time in the history of the PLQthe sale of membership cards cannot be neglected.
As for MP Frédéric Beauchemin, he can always count on the close circle who has supported him since his very beginnings. The member for Marguerite-Bourgeoys recently obtained the support of former Minister of Finance, Carlos Leitao, but his problems with the party last fall still slowed his momentum.
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Liberal MP Frédéric Beauchemin (left) will have the support of former Finance Minister Carlos Leitao (right) if he decides to take part in the Liberal leadership race. (Archive photo)
Photo: X / Frédéric Beauchemin
No matter who ends up taking part, there will be enough people to organize debates, which will already be better than last time. The differences between candidates have yet to be discovered, but we can foresee a return of PLQ on the center-right of the political spectrum.
To distance himself from the Couillard years, Dominique Anglade had begun a turn to the left, but this did not please everyone, with Liberal deputies criticizing their party for sticking too closely to Québec solidaire. The profile of the prospective candidates now suggests a return of the pendulum.
And for a rare time, no one seems to be going into the race with a head start – which could make it all the more interesting.
A realignment? But what realignment?
During the last election, analyzes multiplied on the political realignment that we seemed to be witnessing within the Quebec partisan system. After having been in the heyday of Quebec politics for decades, the Parti Québécois and the Liberal Party seemed doomed to inevitable decline.
François Legault blithely repeated that he had succeeded in breaking the monopoly that the two old parties exercised on power, while Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois already saw himself as leader of the official opposition.
Less than two years later, things have changed dramatically. The Coalition Avenir Québec is losing ground in the polls and Québec solidaire is going through a period of deep questioning.
No one yet knows what the 2026 elections will bring, but many liberal activists are already dreaming of the return of the good old dynamic between sovereignists and federalists. It’s just a dream for now – but leadership races are inherently hopeful.
