François Legault’s podcast: good idea or not?

Overall, yes, but first, a nod to the excellent choice of title. Since the pandemic, everyone can recognize the premier by his famous “Bonjour tout l’monde.”

The Legault signature

Let’s be clear: from a communications standpoint, this is a good idea for François Legault, because it gives him and his party the chance to put forward the image of a likeable, approachable premier who is “close to the people.” In short, to help him recover his good-natured side after an election campaign and a start to the parliamentary session in which he often appeared annoyed, even in a bad mood. Add to this that he will also be able to show that he listens and takes an interest in various figures and organizations of Québec public life. One can imagine they will be lining up to chat for twenty minutes or so with the premier. What’s more, the initiative fits nicely with his usual communications. François Legault had gotten us used to sharing his favourite reads. We could picture him welcoming a few authors, for example.

A controlled risk

That said, a few reservations. Even if the exercise is excellent for François Legault’s image, a danger remains for the Coalition Avenir Québec, which, once again, is betting all its chips on the personality of its leader. Will the premier run in the next election? When does he plan to bow out? All these questions come up, and this podcast, which aims to be a tool to reach even more people, must not become a tool of political propaganda and undue promotion of the CAQ. 

From an internal standpoint, it should be noted that the premier’s communications team has taken on a big undertaking. Holding a twice-weekly exercise takes a lot of energy, particularly for the main person involved. One might wonder whether this isn’t asking a bit too much of a premier who already has a premier’s schedule. From the outside, some might say, “Come on now, doesn’t he have anything else to do?”

We can also say that François Legault is setting the bar high for the next premiers, and even for the other party leaders who may want to match his performance!