No one has pointed out that by treating the mayors of Quebec’s largest municipalities as “beggars”, Prime Minister François Legault has, in fact and politically, insulted each and every citizen of these municipalities, or even all of Quebec.
Because the mayors of Quebec municipalities are elected by universal suffrage of citizens qualified to vote, on the same model as the republican presidential system. A mayor elected by name (not as party leader) therefore represents each citizen, personally. His legitimacy, within his municipality, among the other mayors of municipalities forming an MRC, and in his relations and representations with the provincial and federal governments, is complete and perfect.
It is quite different for the Prime Minister of Quebec. It is by constitutional convention (not by virtue of a law) that the leader of a party having elected the most deputies in an election forms the government. And the leader of a party, in this case François Legault, only represents the members of the CAQ. The Prime Minister of Quebec, personally, has no legitimacy, other than the result of an election that elected his political party, which allows him to choose the ministers who form the government.
François Legault does not represent the citizens who got his party elected, unlike the mayors of Quebec municipalities, who represent their fellow citizens. Whoever touches the mayor affects the citizen.
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