After a second defeat at Montreal City Hall against Valérie Plante in the fall of 2021, he closed the door to politics with a bang. While Denis Coderre has been away from political forums for three years, today he is tempted to return through the door of the province and through “the challenge” represented by the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ).
To those who think he is outdated, he answers clearly: age doesn't matter and neither does the number of defeats.
While he admits to being polarizing, Denis Coderre emphasizes that the fact that he provokes a lot of debate is healthy.
Before embarking on a tour of the regions to take the pulse of activists, the former mayor of the city of Montreal reflected in an interview on what would set him apart in a future PLQ leadership race.
Am I “gone”? I mean, the proportion of prime ministers who are over 60 years old […]Because you are over 60 years old, we have to abandon you? […] How many people could we use but then leave behind?
I know people who lost before they won […]. If you want to recover, you must survive failure. The only way to grow is to face adversity, says the 60-year-old.
Aside from the political setbacks, Denis Coderre suffered a stroke last May and was subsequently rehabilitated. A difficult ordeal, he says, admitting that he is a little different today than he was before the illness. This ordeal, he continues, has developed him further.
It was four months ago: I didn't talk, then I didn't walk. […] While my grandson was learning to walk, I was learning to walk again.
Multiple challenges
While Denis Coderre's interview with Les Coulisses du Pouvoir in an Italian restaurant in his neighborhood has already filled out the PLQ membership form and stored it safely in his jacket pocket, he has almost finished reading the relaunch report.
For Denis Coderre, the PLQ is a great party, as are its challenges. These challenges include re-proving its relevance, being effective and reaching out to the regions.
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Denis Coderre answered questions from journalist Daniel Thibeault on the program “Les Coulisses du Pouvoir”.
Photo: Radio-Canada / David Richard
At the time of writing, Denis Coderre had begun a journey through the regions. He will first travel through Centre-du-Québec, where he will address issues such as the role of municipalities and schools.
When asked what the PLQ needs, the Liberal MP from Bourassa, Minister of Sports, Minister of Immigration and Mayor of Montreal, answers categorically: The party needs experience and knowledge of the realities on the ground.
We tried things that said we [avait] definitely need to be renewed […]. It's not a problem to have learned.
Although he can already count on the support of Christopher Sirois, president of the Liberal Association of Lévis, Denis Coderre will still have to convince the Liberal faction and activists … if he decides to enter the race.
However, before a decision is made by June, the main interested party will set off for Spain and Portugal in May, covering 300 km on foot from Saint-Jacques-de-Compostella. Question to think about.
The PLQ leadership race will take place in 2025. So far, only the MP for the Marguerite-Bourgeoys constituency, Frédéric Beauchemin, has confirmed his interest.
Liberal MP for Louis-Hébert, Joël Lightbound, stated in an interview with Les Coulisses du Pouvoir that he does not necessarily want to close the door, but that he needs to think about it more carefully before making a decision.
This episode of Behind the Scenes of Power will be broadcast on Sunday at 11am on ICI RDI and on ICI Télé.