This text is part of the special section Municipalities
Since the 2021 elections, around 10% of municipal elected officials in Quebec have left their positions. Disillusionment, threats, excessive workload, work-family balance problems: many reasons are given by those who resign.
These questions will also be at the heart of the discussions at the 2024 Conference organized by the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ), from May 22 to 24, 2024. A Léger survey was also conducted among UMQ municipal elected officials. The results will be presented on May 23 at the opening of the conference “The challenges of political engagement: from dream to reality”.
According to Julie Bourdon, mayor of Granby and president of the committee on municipal democracy at the UMQ, out of more than 1,300 respondents, 46% of elected officials reported having been confronted with intimidation and threats. And 36% of them said they had been victims of harassment. Women reported experiencing intimidation and threats more frequently (53%) than men (42%). “When we talk about threats and intimidation, it can be on social networks or in person, during municipal councils. », specifies Mme Bumblebee.
She notes that the sociological context, such as inflation for example, can make certain citizens more impatient and that certain issues, such as a change in zoning, can become “very polarizing. »
Psychologist Rose-Marie Charest, who will also be one of the panelists at the conference, notes that access to social networks makes it easier to “unload your rage quickly”. “One of the things that harms democracy is impulsiveness which replaces reflection,” she emphasizes.
New responsibilities
Mme Bourdon affirms that the responsibilities of municipal elected officials, particularly those of smaller towns, are increasing: homelessness, housing crisis, crime, adaptation to climate change, etc. New files are added to their daily lives. “This also perhaps leads to an overload of work,” notes the mayor of Granby.
The elections of November 7, 2021 also revealed a younger and more feminine political landscape in the province. Five of the ten largest cities in Quebec have appointed a woman at the head of their municipality and approximately 9% of the 7,924 elected officials were aged 18 to 34.
Age, according to Mme Charest, can determine personal responsibilities. “When we are younger, we can have young children at home,” illustrates Mme Bumblebee. Some municipal councilors have jobs on the side and this leads to other conciliations. »
Following this significant number of resignations, the provincial government announced last February the granting of $2 million over five years to add psychological assistance services to elected officials in Quebec. These services are now offered to the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ). “This had been a need which had been named by the elected officials”, specifies Mme Bumblebee.
For his part, Mme Charest explains that the climate in which a person lives is the greatest determinant of their psychological health. “When you are attacked as a person, when you work in an environment with divisions,” she maintains, “it is really harmful to mental health. » For the psychologist, this climate can contribute to “a profound attack on democracy” and have consequences on citizens’ disinterest in politics. “What will happen to our society if people no longer want to play this role? » she asks herself.
Improve the protection and support of elected officials
Last April, the government tabled Bill 57. It aims in particular to protect elected officials and promote the exercise of their functions without hindrance, by providing for criminal offenses against citizens who commit incivility. “We also suggested in the bill to be able, on occasion, for a mother who has just given birth or someone who is in [congé] illness, to be able to follow the council sessions in a hybrid way”, specifies Mme Bumblebee.
According to her, the UMQ will also look at other solutions: “Communities of practice or chatting [entre nous] or to have mentoring will also come and help [les élus]. »
But political representatives must support each other and protect each other to increase their protection factors. And this, in addition to Bill 57, believes Mme Charest. Thus, they should not attack each other directly “as a person” even when they find themselves in opposition. “They may be adversaries, but that doesn’t mean being enemies. It’s the difference between competition and rivalry,” underlines the psychologist.
Despite this worrying situation, the mayor of Granby is delighted that 96% of survey respondents nevertheless specified that they liked their job and felt useful to their community. “As a local government, we are able to act more quickly to improve people’s quality of life,” she adds. A lot of citizens are grateful for what we are doing. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.