Aref Salem named interim leader of Ensemble Montreal following Coderre’s departure
Posted November 16, 2021 2:26 pm.
Last Updated November 16, 2021 2:27 pm.
Aref Salem is the new interim leader of Ensemble Montréal, after Denis Coderre stepped down last week following his defeat to Valerie Plante in the Nov. 7 municipal election.
Salem is a city councillor for Ville-Saint-Laurent and was elected for a fourth consecutive time during last week’s election.
Chosen by secret ballot, he is now set to lead the official opposition for at least three years.
“We have a lot of challenges in front of us,” Salem said at a news conference on Tuesday morning.
Salem said his party needs to rebuild following its latest loss. He predicted that Ensemble Montréal will win in 2025 and be the city’s next administration.
From 2013 to 2017, Salem was in charge of transportation under the Coderre administration.
C'est avec joie et modestie que j'accueille mon nouveau rôle comme chef d'@EnsembleMtl. Je tiens à remercier les élu·e·s du parti pour leur confiance. Nous serons une opposition ouverte, rigoureuse, humaine, inclusive et à l’écoute de toute la population de Montréal. #polmtl https://t.co/8p6HYiv8Uw
— Aref Salem (@arefsalem) November 16, 2021
Coderre stepped away from political life after losing his bid to become Montreal’s mayor for the second time.
He received roughly 38 per cent of the vote.
READ MORE:
- Valerie Plante wins tight mayoral race, beating Denis Coderre
- Denis Coderre says goodbye to political life after second mayoral defeat
Coderre was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Bourassa from 1997 until 2013, serving as Federal Immigration Minister from 2002 to 2003.
In 2013, he formed Équipe Denis Coderre and was elected mayor of Montreal. A position he held until 2017, when he lost to current mayor Plante.
