Towards a silent campaign?

Until now, the 2025 municipal election campaign is unfolding in an unusually hushed manner.

Political parties, traditionally eager to court public attention through rallies, debates, and media coverage, have opted for a minimalist approach this year.

Instead of inviting journalists to cover their events or engaging in public discourse, they are relying almost exclusively on press releases to communicate their platforms and activities on social media.

This shift toward a “silent campaign” raises troubling questions about transparency, accountability, and the health of democratic participation in Laval.

The 2025 campaign feels more like a corporate rollout than a democratic exercise. Candidates and parties are issuing carefully worded press releases, often devoid of meaningful detail or direct engagement.

This strategy may be efficient, but it is also exclusionary. By avoiding live events and direct media interaction, political actors sidestep scrutiny. There are no follow-up questions, no spontaneous moments, no opportunities for journalists to probe inconsistencies or challenge vague promises. The result is a sanitized narrative that benefits incumbents and well-resourced campaigns while leaving voters in the dark.

Democracy thrives on debate, dissent, and dialogue. When political parties choose to bypass the media, they also bypass the public conversation. Press releases, no matter how informative, cannot replace the dynamic exchange of ideas that occurs in interviews, debates, and town halls.

Residents rely on their two newspapers, Laval News and Courrier Laval, for election coverages. Throughout their existence, they have proven their journalistic integrity.

Without access to events where they can ask pertinent questions, their ability to inform the public is severely limited. The media’s role is not just to report—it is to challenge, contextualize, and amplify. When political parties exclude journalists, they undermine this role and weaken the democratic fabric of the city.

Citizens deserve better

Laval’s residents deserve a campaign that respects their intelligence and values their participation. They deserve candidates who are willing to speak openly, answer tough questions, and engage with the community.

The silent campaign may be convenient for political actors, but it is a disservice to the electorate. It fosters apathy, erodes trust, and diminishes the legitimacy of the electoral process.

A call to action

It’s not too late to change course. Political parties in Laval should reconsider their approach and invite the media back into the fold. Citizens should demand more from those who seek to represent them.