'Let's go': Mayor Valérie Plante says she's ready for second showdown with Denis Coderre

All signs point to a second showdown between Valérie Plante and Denis Coderre.

The current mayor says it's time for the man she defeated four years ago ''to show his true colours" and be clear about his intentions to take back City Hall.

Last week, Coderre unveiled the back cover for his new book, Retrouver Montréal, which is French for ''Finding Montreal Again,'' and the sneak peek left little doubt that he is gearing up to run for mayor in November. 

During an interview with Radio-Canada's Téléjournal host Patrice Roy, Plante said Coderre should put an end to the speculation, referring to her likely opponent's candidacy as a months-long ''striptease".

"That's enough now, let's go," Plante said.

With the city reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayor said it's important to have discussions about the city's future as soon as possible.

"I am very proud of what happened during the last year, very proud of how I handled this crisis," she said. "I'm the one who has been there from the start, leaving no one behind, with a lot of openness, a lot of empathy."

Plante defeated Coderre in 2017, becoming the first woman to serve as Montreal's mayor. 

On the back cover of his book, Coderre wrote about how much he's changed since his defeat.

"I rebuilt myself physically and mentally, and I went to meet Montrealers from every neighbourhood, every condition, every origin, every generation," he wrote.

"The more time passed, the more I understood that our relationship was not over."

Two months ago, Félix-Antoine Joli-Coeur became the first person to challenge Plante for mayor, under the party Ralliement pour Montréal. The party has since severed ties with Joli-Coeur. 

"It'll be up to the population to decide if it wants to work with this or that person," Plante said. "I won't let myself be intimidated by whoever presents themselves in front of me."

Municipal elections will be held on Nov. 7.