Leadership race postponed at Ensemble Montréal

Photo: Adil Boukind archives Le Devoir For the moment, candidates are not rushing to succeed Aref Salem and take the lead of the opposition party at city hall.

Jeanne Corriveau

Published at 14:51 Updated at 17:46

• Montréal

Ensemble Montréal was supposed to choose a new leader next February, but the opposition party at city hall decided to postpone this exercise to a later date, arguing that it wanted to give potential candidates more time to come forward.

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“Many personalities from various backgrounds have expressed their interest in this major role. However, it seemed difficult for them to commit immediately, for both personal and professional reasons; a factor to which Ensemble Montréal is sensitive,” Ensemble Montréal president Carmine Pollice said in a statement on Friday.

Ensemble Montréal officially opened the nomination period for the leadership on October 15, but candidates do not seem to be rushing to take the helm of the political party. A month ago, the candidacy of Younes El Moustir, the only one to have publicly expressed his interest, was rejected by the party.

It must be said that this party, formerly led by Denis Coderre, is struggling with a significant debt. Since the departure of Mr. Coderre, who bit the dust in 2021 while trying to oust Valérie Plante from Montreal mayoralty, Ensemble Montréal has managed to reduce its debt. At the start of 2024, it reached more than $347,000 while Projet Montréal could count on a sum of nearly $691,000 in its coffers.

Before this postponement announcement, leadership candidates had until December 15 to submit their candidacies and Aref Salem's successor was to be chosen at the nomination convention on February 16. Ensemble Montréal says new dates will be announced at a later date.

Ensemble Montréal also confirmed Friday that its general director, Patrick Thauvette, had left his position. Citing confidentiality reasons, the party declined to specify the circumstances of his departure.

For its part, Projet Montréal plans to choose its new leader on March 15 in anticipation of the municipal elections in November 2025.

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