François Legault will note that the mood of the caquists varies from loyalty to total disenchantment when he gathered his deputies today in a special caucus, in full debacle. Many believe that he is still the best leader for the party, but some believe it “disconnected”.
The exercise is unusual and testifies to the difficult climate generated by the wear and tear of power, the fall in the polls and the roots suffered in partials.
The Prime Minister summoned all of his Caucus deputies in Quebec, when they are generally still on vacation.
The objective: to try to understand how to relaunch the CAQ to one year of a possible collapse in the general elections.
A majority of elected officials contacted are stored, in heart or reason, behind François Legault, still “the best” in the CAQ “in the current economic context”, believes a person sitting on the Council of Ministers.
One of his colleagues also feels ready to fight with his leader, by signaling however that everything must be on the table, “without taboos”, in this meeting which will be a “echo chamber” of the citizens met this summer.
Too late?
But, precisely, among the deputies, some no longer believe in the chances of François Legault to reverse the steam after having rubbed shoulders with Mr. and Madame Tout-le-Monde on vacation.
“Impossible to relaunch the machine … Mr. Legault is disconnected,” says one of them, relaying the comments of voters judging that he does not have a sincere interest in the regions.
“He should go away […] Arthabaska shows that his leadership is no longer recognized. ”
Skeptics
Less categorical, another elected official believes that he “begins to be late” for the ministerial reshuffle provided for in the coming days and is waiting to see the rest of things before rallying clearly.
“Will he have the audacity?” […] He will have to demonstrate something, to create a momentum, “he said, skeptical, deploring the recent tone of the caquist chief, too close to the self-teller.
We also highlight the loss of important advisers who could question the chef in recent years, leaving holes around the right arm, Martin Koskinen.
“It seems … those who stay now are only those who have an infinite cult.”
Another member of the critical deputation also a reshuffle which will arrive too late.
“It’s too close to the start of the school year. The subministers already have their agenda; While the new minister has familiar with the files, there will be no result in a year, ”he summarizes.
If he recognizes that the CAQ “is no longer an option” currently in the eyes of the population, another elected respondent believes that it is necessary to clearly demonstrate “that we believe in our leader”.
It should not be forgotten that the Prime Minister not only telegraphie his game of ministerial musical chairs, but also changes in party positions.
Saaqclic will continue to hurt during the fall, with the continuation of the commission of inquiry.
The umpteenth household attempt will not be able to hide it.
With a closed microphone, deputies question the engagement for the third link, but others argue that a new reverse is even more laughable.
François Legault’s puzzles are multiple.
Not to mention that the cohesion challenge will be great, at the end of the regime, with shocked deputies to have been left out during the reshuffle.
-With the collaboration of Marc-André Gagnon