Quebec Conservative party leader hospitalized due to heart problem
Duhaime said he expects to make full recovery, but will take break from work
Quebec Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime has been hospitalized after suffering from a heart problem Friday night.
Duhaime made the announcement on social media Saturday afternoon, saying he is feeling better and is in good hands.
"Don't worry. I'm fine now. My spouse immediately took me to hospital, where the medical staff took excellent care of me," he wrote on X.
The party leader posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed giving a thumbs up and thanked hospital staff.
Duhaime said he has been reassured he will make a strong recovery, but he is temporarily stepping back from work for health reasons.
"Our bodies sometimes send us little signals that we need to listen to in order to take a breather. That's what I intend to do over the next few weeks, with a view to coming back in top shape for a big conservative year 2025," he wrote.
Quebec Premier François Legault, Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Quebec Liberal Party Opposition leader Marc Tanguay are among the province's leaders who responded to the post on X, wishing Duhaime a speedy recovery.
Last month, Duhaime indicated he would seek the opinions of some 1,400 party members before Christmas in Arthabaska, a riding in the Centre-du-Québec region of the province, about his possible candidacy in the fall 2025 byelection. The leader is looking to win a seat in the National Assembly.
A Léger poll published on Dec. 3 found that 13 per cent of the Quebec electorate intended to vote for the Quebec Conservative Party — a two per cent increase since the previous poll in November.