(Montreal) Incidents of harassment and intimidation targeting Quebec politicians have become more frequent over the past decade, worsening the already difficult working conditions of many local leaders, according to a new report.
The Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM) published on Friday the results of a survey, conducted among hundreds of elected officials in 2023, which highlights the challenges facing the municipal political class.
These results are revealed while municipal governments are struggling to retain local elected officials. Nearly 10% of the province’s 8,000 municipal politicians have resigned since the last 2021 election.
Psychological harassment was the main problem of respondents, according to the Federation. 39% reported experiencing harassment or bullying at least once during their career, compared to 28% in a 2017 survey.
The report said mayors and elected officials under the age of 45 were more likely to be victims of offensive behavior, which respondents said often included defamation and verbal abuse.
Among the elected officials surveyed, 22% reported having had clashes with their constituents on social networks, 24% declared having been confronted with aggressive people during municipal council meetings and 25% reported problematic interactions at the exterior of public buildings.
But more than half of those surveyed, or 54 percent, also reported experiencing abuse — such as derogatory remarks, threats and hate speech — from their peers. In addition, 57% of women surveyed and 51% of men expressed a feeling of “incompatibility” with other elected officials.
Local leaders are also struggling to meet the demands of their role, the survey suggests. In fact, 39% of elected officials said that work-life balance is sometimes a challenge; among elected officials under 45, this figure rises to 67%.
Feelings of insecurity are also rampant. 70% of those surveyed said they felt powerless in their role; 39% said they sometimes felt like they were not up to the job they were elected to do; 36% sometimes feel they lack the training to carry out their duties.
The federation hopes for systemic change to resolve the problems highlighted in the report and calls on the Quebec government to consider a provincial campaign to encourage good citizenship.
Study participants also propose greater public awareness of the role of municipal officials, an increased emphasis on teamwork among politicians and clearer policies to guide conduct during public hearings.