Denis Coderre announced that he was leaving politics permanently on Friday, giving up his seat as leader of the opposition at Montreal city hall.
He publicly announced his decision after informing his candidates, whom he was meeting for the first time since last Sunday’s scathing defeat.
“I’m leaving politics,” he said, his eyes wet and emotion in his voice. “I’ll do something else. After 40 years of politics, 12 electoral campaigns. […] I have the feeling of my duty accomplished. ”
Mr. Coderre, 58, was federal deputy for Bourassa from 1997 to 2013, before being mayor of Montreal until 2017.
“I decided to think about myself,” he continued on Friday, claiming to have realized that he had turned into a “lightning rod” as the campaign progressed, and that this situation was not compatible with the idea of leading the opposition.
You have to know how to withdraw in life. That’s what I do. I have truly had a successful life politically. […] We must make room for the younger generations.
Denis coderre
Mr. Coderre was dressed in black from head to toe. Around him, about twenty elected officials and candidates surrounded him and applauded him heartily.
“I love them,” he said, referring to the team he returned to politics with after a four-year absence. “It’s an extraordinary book that ends, but with this experience, I can do a lot of other things, […] internationally, locally or elsewhere. He also thanked “the Montrealers, the people of Montreal-North, who gave me this exceptional political life, who gave me this chance to work for them”.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Denis Coderre during his speech, Sunday
He said he suffered from a terrible headache all day Monday, the day after his defeat, but still reunited with his parents, very affected by his setback. In the days that followed, he spoke with his family and relatives before announcing his decision.
” Vox Populi vox dei ”
The meeting between the candidates of Ensemble Montreal and Denis Coderre lasted several hours Friday morning in a room of the Casa d’Italia, rue Jean-Talon Est. They took stock of the campaign.
It was good, it was constructive, it was rewarding. Everyone who had things to say said it. I was asked questions, I answered.
Denis Coderre, on the meeting with the candidates of Ensemble Montreal
Mr. Coderre added that no one “was looking for the culprits, we are looking forward”.
Publicly, however, he did not want to expand on his analysis of the electoral campaign. ” Vox Populi vox dei. But what saddens me the most is the low turnout, ”said the ex-candidate, blaming the decision of the Plante administration not to allow postal voting for voters over 70. . “We’re starting to look like a big school board. ”
“We had an extraordinary platform, we had an extraordinary team,” said Mr. Coderre, regretting that his party’s proposals were not sufficiently debated in the public sphere. “We haven’t talked enough about the issues. ”
“Were there any mistakes? I imagine, ”he said cryptically.
The politician could not help but continue the attacks on his opponents. “Unfortunately, we haven’t really talked about the record of the past four years during this campaign,” he said. I had the impression that what was environmentalist on the side of Projet Montreal was to copy word for word several of our ideas. I might sell more [d’exemplaires de] my book, they took a lot [d’idées] in there. ”
Mr. Coderre indicated that he had not spoken face to face with Valérie Plante since Sunday evening, but that they had exchanged texts. He defended himself for giving a bitter speech Sunday night and added that the order of the speaking engagements (contrary to the tradition that the winner speaks last) was solely due to a communication problem between the campaigns.