“Serene”, the co-spokesperson of Quebec solidaire (QS) Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois affirms “not to be afraid” to take stock of the October elections in the national council this weekend, even if in the militant base , the growl is felt.
As provided for in their statutes, the QS delegates will meet this weekend to take stock of the last election campaign. The co-spokespersons are eagerly awaited. The results of the last election – where the left-wing party received 15,000 fewer votes than in 2018 – did not meet members’ expectations.
“There are choices that have been made at the level of the platform,” observes activist Andrée-Anne Tremblay, who will be a delegate from the local association of Taschereau this weekend on the national council of QS. “The party decided to take a direction that was perhaps a little less radical. […] He has greatly underestimated how far left his voter base is. »
In a report that it will present to the members on Saturday morning, the national solidarity executive agrees that it has failed to build on the foundations of the historic 2018 campaign. work, despite polls indicating that our opposition work was the most effective and that Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was the most appreciated opposition party leader, our voting intentions have never significantly changed”, indicates the Political assessment of the 2022 electionsthat The duty was able to consult.
In an interview in the hours preceding the opening of the National Council, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois indicated that he was not afraid of the debates that he would undertake this weekend with the members about the October ballot. “I arrive at this very serene national council,” he said.
“At Québec solidaire, we are a party of ideas, we are a party of debates and we are a transparent party. […] I think that this ability to debate between us is our strength, and personally, I am not afraid of these debates, ”adds the elected representative of Gouin.
Too central?
According to activist Hélène Bissonnette, a member of the Tendance marxiste internationale de QS collective, the results of the last ballot can be explained in particular by the decision of the management to “moderate and [de] refocus the » electoral platform. “We have to realize that there is stagnation at Québec solidaire,” she continues.
The adoption of the solidarity electoral platform dates back to the November 2021 congress. Solidarity co-spokesperson Manon Massé then spoke of a “concrete” document and “glued to the concerns of the people”.
“The decision to present a shorter, more concrete and more achievable electoral platform in a four-year term is a decision that was taken democratically,” notes “GND” more than a year after its adoption. “I was and still am in favor of this orientation. This is my vision for the future of Québec solidaire. »
The parliamentary leader of the second opposition group in the National Assembly rejects the idea that the party posted “centrist” proposals in September and October. “We presented a platform that was clearly marked on the left,” he said. “There is no contradiction between ambition and rigour. »
However, “many [des propositions de QS] appeared to be very complex”, agrees the leadership of the party in its Balance sheet from the last campaign. Among these: the tax on the purchase of gasoline vehicles, dubbed the “orange tax” by the chief caquiste François Legault, or the tax on the fortunes of the “ultra-rich”.
Join regions
Mr. Nadeau-Dubois also admits that there is a “fracture between urban and rural areas” in his party. The report that he will present on Saturday morning also indicates that the “voting results in purely urban constituencies increased by an average of 1.72 percentage points, while those in predominantly rural constituencies fell by 2.15 percentage points. average percentage.
Andrée-Anne Tremblay, who militates in Quebec, even believes that the party had difficulty imposing itself as soon as it set foot outside the Quebec metropolis. “Of course there are questions. We end up with a fairly solid base in Montreal. In the Capitale-Nationale, we felt a lack of global vision, ”she analyzes.
This weekend, QS members will discuss the best ways to rally voters residing outside urban areas. “I want Québec solidaire to listen first to the activists in the regions,” says Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
Apart from Montreal, where the political formation made two gains – Verdun and Maurice-Richard -, QS did not progress as he intended during the last election. He also lost the riding of Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue.