Though Denis Coderre won this week’s Montreal mayoral race, runner-up candidate and corporate lawyer Mélanie Joly caught the attention of many. Joly was previously dubbed as a challenge to Coderre’s campaign and the second most popular candidate in the race, despite her recent arrival on the political scene.
Joly is a part of what Lysiane Gagnon called in her Globe and Mail article “a new breed of women in Canadian politics.” These young professionals are making their mark on their respective political scenes. Joly stepped out on the scene as an underdog, unknown to the general public. An Oxford graduate, she faced Coderre; Projet Montréal party leader, Richard Bergeron; and successful entrepreneur, Marcel Coté (who had the support of Montreal’s business community). These were all seasoned veterans to the political scene, with decades more experience than she.
However, Joly proved that she could roll with the punches and make a name for herself in what seems to be a man’s world. With her slogan reading “Vrai Changement” or “Real Change,” Joly echoed Quebecers’ desires to reverse Quebec’s status as a corrupt province. Last year’s dethroning of Montreal’s and Laval’s mayors due to corruption allegations, and the continuous Charbonneau Commission’s unraveling of new details of illegal behavior at the municipal level in Montreal have left Quebecers in search of new leaders of their cities, leaders with integrity and plans to move forward.
The ride was not always smooth for Joly. In fact, she wasn’t even invited to participate with the other three main candidates for the first public debates during the campaign. She was marginalized further when she was asked what the cost of downtown Montreal parking was, and responded with $9, triple the actual amount. However, Joly did not let these downfalls discourage her.
Joly has proved throughout her campaign that if we want progress, it is up to a younger demographic to rise up and demand our voices be heard. It is up to us to make the change if we want to see the change, and not be phased by the fact that we are young and may therefore be perceived as inexperienced. Throughout the campaign, Joly has shown that her young age, gender, and lack of experience in politics are not determinants of her success on the political trail. Besides her law degree from Oxford and work at prestigious Quebec law firms and as a campaign organizer for Justin Trudeau, Joly used her charisma and knowledge of public relations to turn to what people used to refer as “Mélanie who?” to “Mélanie #2,” as her support steadily grew and Quebecers contemplated naming Joly the first-ever female mayor of Montreal.
With over 6,000 Twitter followers and a campaign team of 300 volunteers, Joly was able to utilize social media in her favor and her prior experience in public relations helped to get her message heard. She represents the youthful demographic seen in the Montreal population and which appreciates what’s fresh and new and wants a changed vision for both the city and the province.
Sunday at 11:20 pm I watched on television as Coderre was officially announced the new mayor of Montreal, with Mélanie #2 following him. Joly gave her speech and reassured Montrealers that the “Vrai Changement” is here to stay, proudly declaring: “mission accompli” (mission accomplished). Joly added that she hopes her recent adventure as a mayoral candidate will give young people the desire to change what they see around them and take a hold of their futures by getting involved in politics.
One day, Montreal will have their first female mayor. Whether it is Joly or not, she has blazed the trail for future politicians in Montreal, no matter what age, gender, or experience level. As Montreal and Quebec enter this new era, one can only hope that it will be characterized by progress and change that the youth will help bring about. Let’s make that change a reality.
Sources:
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/vot…
http://www.thestar.com/news/ca…
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com…
Photos retrieved from:
http://www.thestar.com/news/ca…
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/…
Please Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Her Campus or Her Campus McGill.