“I will be Team Christine Frechette’s candidate in the next election,” Sport, Recreation and Outdoor Activities Minister Karian Bourassa confirmed Saturday in a video posted on Facebook. Not “for the Avenir Québec coalition,” but “for Christine Frechette’s team.”
On the party’s website, the name of the party founded by Francois Legault in 2011-2012 was also relegated to the background to highlight its new leader, who took power in mid-April.
Even photographs of candidates in this fall’s elections have been altered to highlight Christine Frechette’s name rather than the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).
This is due to the fact that the party was officially renamed last week. The Director General of Elections (DGE) published a public notice on its website on Thursday saying that it has authorized a political party to change its name to Team Christine Frechette – Coalition Avenir Quebec
.
Radio-Canada contacted the CEO CAQBrigitte Legault confirms that this decision was not made by chance. This choice, she says, is aimed at creating change of situation among the electorate
in view of the approaching campaign.
“It was important for us to make it clear that the party had changed direction,” explains Ms. Legault. Not everyone listens to political news.
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Brigitte Legault explains that the name Christine Frechette is “very, very well known among voters.” “We recognize that her leadership, her way of doing things, appeals to people, and given that we are in election and pre-election mode, we still felt it was important to put her forward.” (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada/Sylvain Roy Roussel
This is not the first time CAQ changes name (see box below). Officially, the training bore the name of its founder, Mr. Legault, from June 2012 to April last year. However, this time the process is different. Christine Frechette’s name comes before the party’s name, and not vice versa.
When asked about this, Brigitte Legault replied thatyou don’t have to look very far
understand. We are ensuring that Ms. Frechette is nominated.
– she said very simply.
She is a new face, she is a woman, she already has something completely different from Mr. Lego. Hence the fact that we started with this name to clearly convey our proposal to the electorate.
Louis Aucoin, communications strategist, believes that CAQ decided to highlight its leader because the CAQ brand, after eight years in power, is now causing a reaction epidermal
in public opinion.
CAQHe said he was betting that voters’ perception of Ms. Frechette during the campaign would be positive and that her popularity would rub off on the party.
“This is a step forward that we are trying to take this summer, and I think now is the right time for it,” he said. Because we have time to get used to it before the elections.
Mr. Aucoin emphasizes that the name change CAQ allows us to justify the ubiquity of the name and image of the new leader in party communications. On your website, for example, all tweets from Christine Frechette
etc. all videos (imagine) in miniature
– he notes.
I think it’s brave to put everything on the individual. (…) Even very boldly. But I think we’re there
– he concludes, referring to negative feeling
What CAQ in terms of public opinion.
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“I think it’s clear that we’re trying to bring the party back to Christine Frechette’s personality,” says public relations strategist Louis Aucoin. (Archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada/Jean-Simon Fabien
Brigitte Legault, on the contrary, argues that the CAQ brand remains attractive
and continues to attract people to the party who in the past often had different preferences
, who don’t always think the same way
but who wants unite on common values
for coalition
.
We recognize this even in candidate cohorts.
she said.
Recruitment is also going well, says Ms. Legault. On the company website CAQThe candidate page currently has 71 names, including a majority of female profiles (37), which she says is a tour de force for Christine Frechette.
New boss outfit
etc. convinces
women, testifies general manager kakist. Perhaps because of her gender, but also and most of all because of her personality, she says.
Mrs. Frechette excellent recruiter
– sums up Ms. Legault, in her opinion CAQ will field 80 candidates by the end of the month, including that of the outgoing prime minister, who two weeks ago confirmed she would run for the post in Trois-Rivières rather than Sanguin.
Four name changes in 15 years
- November 4, 2011 – the party receives permission from DGE called the Coalition for the Future of Quebec.
- December 21, 2011 – The party simply becomes the “Coalition Avenir Québec.”
- 27 June 2012 – A few months before participating in its first general election, the party adds the name of its founder to its name. The name “Coalition Avenir Québec – Team François Legault” appears on the ballot papers.
- April 15, 2026 – The party is renamed “Coalition Avenir Québec” when Christine Frechette officially succeeds François Legault.
- July 9, 2026 – The party takes the name of its new leader and becomes “Équipe Christine Fréchette – Coalition Avenir Québec”.
Source : Elections in Quebec