By Marianne White - When he was elected leader of the Bloc Québécois in 1997, Duceppe was best known in his home province as the son of acclaimed Quebec actor Jean Duceppe.
Over the years, he has built a reputation as a hard worker and skilled leader -although he's seen by some as a little authoritarian.
Today, he is one of the most-liked politicians in the province and his party heads into the election with a commanding lead in the polls in Quebec.
"He is the living proof that ridicule never killed anyone," says Christian Dufour, a political analyst at Quebec's Ecole nationale d'administration publique. Dufour was referring to an unfortunate 1997 campaign photo-op that made Duceppe the target of political satirists across the country when he was caught on camera wearing a bonnet halfway between a shower cap and a hair net while touring a cheese factory.
Dufour notes the incident demonstrates Duceppe earned his stripes gradually as a politician.
When he jumped into politics 20 years ago to become the first elected Bloc MP, Duceppe didn't have the charisma of other politicians -unlike his predecessor, former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard, who is fondly recalled by Quebecers to this day.
"It shows that charisma isn't everything in politics," Dufour says. "Duceppe has earned people's confidence."
Indeed, Duceppe appears at ease in his role in Ottawa and is backed by a strong team of MPs. He is seen as one of his party's best assets by longtime Bloc organizer Mario Laframboise.
"Like wine, he gets better with age," Laframboise quips.
The Bloc Québécois has won a majority of Quebec's federal seats six times out of six since 1993. Twice -in 1993 under Bouchard and in 2004 under Duceppe -the party scored 54 of the 75 seats in Quebec.
So why is the Bloc still so popular in Quebec?
The party's and Duceppe's biggest achievement by far is convincing Quebecers they have a unique voice in Ottawa to defend their interests. It's one reason that, although the party is dedicated to achieving Quebec sovereignty, it has gained support from Quebec nationalists who wouldn't necessarily vote Yes in a referendum on sovereignty.
"The Bloc embodies the fact Quebec is a distinct society within Canada that is not well integrated," Dufour says. "The party relays the interests of Quebec as a nation."
Laframboise also notes Quebecers appreciate the fact the party is not only in the business of opposing the Conservatives. The party sometimes has voted with the federal government on past budgets or bills when it was in Quebec's interests to do so.
Support for the Bloc has remained at around 40 per cent in Quebec since the 2008 elections; another strong Bloc showing seems possible.
Nonetheless, Duceppe, now 63, still has to counter claims his party is a spent force that cannot attain power or sovereignty.
"It's always the same song," Laframboise says, unfazed.
Factors that have caused the Bloc's support to surge in the past -a Meech-like constitutional crisis or a strong protest vote -are absent from the campaign this time.
Duceppe has made it clear, however, that there is no shortage of issues to bicker over, starting with the Quebec City arena project, the long-standing dispute over harmonization of sales tax and Conservative crime policies.
THE BLOC CAMPAIGN
Theme: The Bloc Québécois is the only party dedicated solely to pushing Quebec interests.
Strategy: As in the 2008 campaign, the party will look for opportunities to hammer home a simple message: the Bloc is your best bet to prevent the Conservatives from forming a majority government. Candidates will repeat every day that a Tory majority would be the worst-case scenario for Quebecers.
Preparations: The Bloc has raised $6.3 million for the next election campaign, more than the maximum $5.4 million it can spend. Candidates have been selected in 68 of the province's 75 ridings.
Strengths: The party knows Quebec inside out and this will be Gilles Duceppe's sixth election campaign as leader. He is known for his campaign skills and is by far the most popular of all federal leaders in Quebec. Moreover, the party only has to tour the province, not the whole country, during the election campaign.
Achilles' heel: Support for sovereignty is flagging and the Bloc has to convince Quebecers of its relevance 20 years after it was founded. The party will have to deflect attacks its perpetual opposition status renders it useless.
Target audience: The Bloc hopes to make gains at the expense of all three other parties. Organizers are especially confident they can reap the benefits in Quebec City, where voters are disappointed the Conservatives didn't invest in a new NHL-calibre arena. According to pollsters, there could be a significant "arena" effect in the region. The Bloc also has its eyes on seats in the Saguenay and in Montreal.
Trivia: Gilles Duceppe prepares a romantic dinner with his wife, Yolande Brunelle, most Friday nights. He said in an interview last year that he changes the plates and cutlery for each course.