“To rule is easy, to govern difficult” is a quote attributed to the writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Newly elected governments take power fresh with their political agenda and series of objectives, promising to bring about positive change from the previous regime. But it doesn’t take long for the perils of reality to set in, with a multitude of competing interests and challenges.

Every society is composed of individuals with a diversity of opinions, beliefs, values, experiences and aspirations. Generating consensus on almost any major issue is extremely difficult. Every decision spawns detractors, and in this age of social media, criticism and opposition can sound much louder. Before long, a party or leader that embodied change or renewal falls out of favour, and electors again clamour for change.

Justin Trudeau was swept into power in 2015 in a red wave of enthusiasm. His glamorous honeymoon eventually soured, and he was compelled to resign.

Premier François Legault was elected in 2018, offering a “third-way” to Quebec’s........

© Montreal Gazette