The picture was impressive: PSPP and Denis Coderre fraternized in parliament and were only too happy to take the stage with a return to the sovereignist/federalist duality after years of the Legault one-man show.
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The former mayor has already won something.
After a controversial end to his reign in Montreal, a second painful defeat to Valérie Plante and a stroke that left him paralyzed and in the shadows, he rediscovered the joy of the spotlight.
In an editorial interview with our parliamentary office on Tuesday, we see that he is fully enjoying the moment.
With a sharp eye, he answers questions quickly, even too quickly, and produces many colorful images, as if trying to convince skeptics of his newfound vitality.
It is strange, to say the least, that as an up-and-coming leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, he didn't even take the time to read his recovery committee's report.
And when he runs out of arguments to justify his positions and contradictions, the former federal minister falls back on anecdotes from the past.
A new chance
Regardless, he's amused when he sees a customer sitting next to us recognize him.
Apparently Denis Coderre hears again in his head the noise of the crowd chanting his name.
That moment of rush that boxers feel before entering the ring, which often pushes them to fight one too many fights at the end of their careers.
We understand it.
He had to learn to walk and talk again.
He went through the fog of a year-long recovery.
We ask him if it doesn't put too much on his shoulders to create a political movement to promote his return, to march to Compostela?
“It's not about not having a life, it's a passion,” he replies to Régis Labeaume, who publicly advised him to hang up.
Plus, 60 is actually relatively young…unless you've had TWELVE federal and local election campaigns.
Back to the Future
Obviously he can't do anything about it.
Especially since the well-known melodies from his glorious era seem to be coming back into fashion, as if the stars had aligned to make it shine again!
In the dark moments after the stroke, the Parti Québécois regained its place at the top of the charts.
Heavens, it's time for the slogans of the past like “No thanks” and the toga effects against the “separatists” to save Canada.
His popularity means that with him at the top, the PLQ would already gain six points in the polls.
Nostalgia works.
Enough to convince people to at least see him play his hits one last time, like in the good old days.
Even if the Liberal caucus has remained cold so far, it may be tempting for the PLQ not to shy away from the spectacle that will allow it to exist in the public space again.
In any case, with support of seven percent among French speakers, not even the specter of a good fight against the threat of a referendum seems to be attracting other well-known candidates.
For a particular horse, we don't pay attention to the bridle.
It's unlikely that the Federalists will quit the CAQ en masse in the short term, no matter what anyone says.
For example, it would give a younger candidate time to live out her years with her young family before she is ready for the big leap.