Legault vows to unite Quebec, but has limited backing in Montreal
MONTREAL (Reuters) -Quebec Premier Francois Legault made a fresh pledge to work for all Quebecers after a landslide election victory on Monday in the wake of a divisive campaign that promised to cap immigration and protect the French language.
But Legault's pledge to be a leader for all Quebecers faces challenges, analysts say, after his party was nearly shut out of Montreal, the Canadian province's largest metropolis.
Legault, the leader of Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), extended an olive branch to the predominantly French-speaking province's English-language minority, along with immigrants after his larger-than-expected victory.
"One of my major goals will be to unite Quebecers and to work on issues that unite us," Legault told reporters at a news conference.
Legault has pledged to cap immigration at 50,000 per year. He said his government would promote the use of the French language in minority communities.
He apologized last month for awkwardly linking newcomers to Quebec with extremism and warned last week that bringing in immigrants who did not speak French would be "suicidal."
Legault was re-elected to a second term with a bigger majority on Monday after promising to cut taxes to offset higher living costs.
Montreal, the province's economic and cultural metropolis, however, remains largely a stronghold of the opposition Quebec Liberals.
Legault said he will continue to work closely with the mayor and try to get closer to Montrealers.
Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, said it will be a challenge "to reconcile you as the premier of all Quebecers" given that CAQ has limited representation in Montreal, Quebec's most diverse region.
The election had no impact on the bond market. Quebec's 10-year bond yield was trading 1.5 basis points below the equivalent yield for Ontario, Canada's most populous province, little changed on the day.
(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Fergal Smith in TorontoEditing by Mark Heinrich and David Gregorio)
