The recent United States elections delivered a powerful lesson for Quebec's political landscape that could reshape the province's approaching electoral battle. According to political observers, voters don't primarily mobilize to block what they fear - they turn out when they genuinely believe in something positive.
Democratic Success Stories Offer Blueprint
Three Democratic candidates achieved significant victories that demonstrated this principle in action during the November 2025 elections. Zohran Mamdani in New York City, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia each represented different wings of their party but shared a crucial common approach.
Mamdani, shaped by tenant activism and democratic socialist ideals, focused on social justice, stable rents, accessible public transit, and fair taxation. Sherrill made affordability her central theme, targeting lower electricity bills and housing costs. Spanberger emphasized competence and restoring trust through accountable, effective governance.
Their collective success stemmed from presenting clear, concrete, and inspiring projects that citizens could actively support, rather than relying on negative campaigning against opponents.
Quebec Liberals Face Critical Choice
With less than a year remaining before the 2026 provincial election, the Quebec Liberal Party under leader Pablo Rodriguez confronts a similar strategic decision. The easier path would involve resurrecting old tactics: warning about another referendum, raising the spectre of division, and pointing to a resurgent Parti Québécois.
However, political analysts suggest this approach no longer unites voters and instead produces voter fatigue. After seven years in power, the Coalition Avenir Québec leaves a substantial record of challenges including detached leadership, deteriorating public services, an unprecedented housing crisis, and growing public disillusionment.
Quebecers won't vote simply to prevent a crisis - they'll support candidates who demonstrate how they can improve daily life meaningfully.
From Fear to Forward-Looking Vision
The Democratic successes illustrate that citizens rally around positive agendas grounded in everyday reality. The Quebec Liberal Party doesn't require an ideological transformation but needs a coherent narrative about progress that addresses affordable housing, accessible healthcare, strong education systems, and quality jobs within a greener economy.
The Liberals once helped define modern Quebec through Jean Lesage's leadership during the Quiet Revolution and Robert Bourassa's ambitious hydroelectric projects. That legacy deserves renewal for contemporary times, expressed with the same clarity and conviction demonstrated by the winning Democratic candidates.
The future will belong to political forces that can articulate a believable story about an open, prosperous, fair, and forward-looking Quebec - not those who continuously replay the fears of previous decades.
The Quebec Liberal Party won't achieve victory by instructing people what to fear. They'll succeed when they provide citizens with something worth believing in again, according to political observers analyzing the transatlantic political parallels.
