Up And Down Beirut
Former CAQ MNA for the Outaouais region, Mathieu Lévesque, was named interim leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on Saturday night.
He succeeds Christine Fréchette, who resigned the day after her party’s worst defeat in the provincial election of October 5, which did not elect any MNA.
“I deeply believe that we represent the true third way. Now we have to do some introspection all together. That is why I humbly welcome this important responsibility,” said Lévesque in a press release.
The man who was for a few months the minister responsible for youth and minister for the regions in the Fréchette government will now have the difficult task of rebuilding the party, which had 79 members in the National Assembly before the dissolution of the 43rd legislature.
Mathieu Lévesque had been the MNA for Chapleau since 2018, but he did not manage to keep his seat in the last election. He finished third in his riding, behind Liberal candidate and future MNA Michel Langevin and PQ candidate Meixia Maltais. Michel Langevin obtained 37.46 per cent of the vote, far ahead of the 16.52 per cent support of CAQ member Mathieu Lévesque.
In a press release confirming his appointment, the CAQ’s National Executive Council recalled that Lévesque is one of the founding members of the party, having been involved in it since 2012, notably as president of the CAQ’s Commission de la Relève.
“He is an important player in our party, he knows the DNA of the party,” said CAQ president Sarah Beaumier.
Positions
Former CAQ premier Christine Fréchette reacted to the appointment on Sunday on her X account.
“I have had the chance to work with Mathieu for the past four years at the National Assembly. As the MNA for Chapleau for eight years and Minister for the Regions, he contributed to building a more prosperous Quebec, proud and in love with its regions,” she said.
“As activists, we should be delighted to have Mathieu at the head of our political party. He is one of its founding members and has held several positions within our bodies, including that of president of the Commission Relève – Coalition Avenir Québec (CRCAQ).
Mathieu is the right person to take over the reins of the party, defend our roots and ensure a healthy transition between now and the leadership race. Happy mandate Mathieu, and I thank you for taking up the torch,” said Fréchette.
Former CAQ leader and premier François Legault also hailed the appointment on X, noting that Lévesque is “a brilliant man who understands the need to obtain in Quebec the powers to reverse the decline of French and defend the values of our nation.”
A lawyer by profession, Mathieu Lévesque has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 2013.
He also wrote the book “La Couleur CAQ”, published in 2022, in which he reflects on the party’s identity and ideology.
Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also congratulated Lévesque on X, wishing him “an excellent mandate” and reaching out to him “to advance the issues dear to Quebecers.”
“Rebuilding a party is a demanding task. I wish him the best in this new mandate,” wrote Liberal Leader Charles Milliard.
Québec solidaire spokeswoman Ruba Ghazal also congratulated him, wishing him “good success in his new duties and in the reconstruction of his party.”
For his part, Conservative leader Éric Duhaime, who will enter the National Assembly in the coming days, said on X that he “sincerely hopes that the CAQ will not be subjected to the affront to the National Assembly that the Conservatives have suffered over the past 4 years.”
