[EN DIRECT] The election campaign has officially started

Outgoing Prime Minister François Legault officially launched his election campaign on Sunday morning by asking Lt. Governor Michel Doyen to dissolve the National Assembly.

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“We are happy, this is the campaign that starts. Five weeks with you, what a joy! And the weather is good, so we are really happy,” said Mr. Legault, clearly feverish, passing the journalists before going to meet Mr. Doyon.

Mr. Legault promised to “take nothing for granted” and to give voters the chance to choose the vision of Quebec that best suits them.

This official kickoff plunges Quebec into a five-week election campaign that culminates on October 3 with the 43rd government election in Quebec’s history.

Four of the five main parties, namely the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), Parti Québécois (PQ), Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) and Quebec Solidaire (QS) presented themselves on the starting line on Sunday with complete teams. 125 candidates.

The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ), particularly in the eastern part of the province, is lagging behind with another twenty candidates to find and declare.

François Legault’s CAQ began this election campaign with a significant lead over its rivals, with 42% of voting intentions as of August 26.

No other party could cross the 20% mark and stand out. PLQ (17%), QS (15%) and PCQ (14%) show very similar results, while PQ trails behind with 9%.

But analysts see several regional struggles emerging between the Liberals, who try to keep their strongholds in Montreal, the Conservatives, who try to win ridings in Quebec and Beauce, and the Solidarists, who want to make gains in Montreal. Provincial cities and PQ members are continuing their ridings to maintain their hold on eastern Quebec.