Canada’s next prime minister is now known as the country awaits the general elections scheduled in a few months.
The Liberal Party of Canada selected Mark Carney as its new leader this Sunday, paving the way for his accession to the position of Prime Minister.
Carney will succeed Justin Trudeau, who led the party for 11 years and held the position of Prime Minister for nine years.
Carney’s selection comes at a key moment for the Liberal Party, which is experiencing a rise in popularity, partly due to resistance against former U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies toward Canada.
As Axios reported, “The selection of Mark Carney by Liberal Party members coincides with an improvement in the party’s polling numbers, fueled by broad opposition to President Trump’s actions targeting Canada.”
During his farewell speech, Trudeau emphasized the importance of political engagement. “Democracy is not guaranteed. Freedom is not guaranteed,” he declared to his supporters, adding that “your country needs you, perhaps more than ever,” Axios reported.
The party leadership election saw participation from a portion of Liberal Party members.
According to Axios, “out of the 400,000 Liberal members eligible to vote in this election, 151,899 submitted their ballots, according to information reported by the party on X.” Additionally, more than 163,000 members completed the required verification steps to vote.
Trudeau’s resignation in January triggered an intense competition within the party to choose his successor. The selection process was based on a ranked-choice voting system, requiring the winner to obtain more than 50% of the votes.
Carney takes the helm at a crucial moment as the Liberals prepare for a tough electoral battle against Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party in the upcoming national elections.
Although the general elections are scheduled for October 20, Carney could, as early as this Monday, March 9, decide to hold the vote sooner, Axios noted.
Although Trudeau’s popularity has recently declined, anti-Trump sentiment has helped boost Liberal support. Axios reported that “opposition to Trump, fueled by his tariff policies and statements about making Canada the 51st state, has improved the party’s standing, with one poll showing the Liberal Party leading for the first time since 2021.”
Carney’s leadership will be crucial in maintaining the Liberal Party’s momentum leading up to the elections. His expertise in economics and central banking positions him as a stabilizing figure in uncertain times, though he faces strong Conservative opposition.
As Canada’s political landscape evolves, the upcoming period will be decisive for the country’s future. As Axios states, “Canada could offer a model for liberal parties seeking to counter the global populist movement that brought Trump to power.”
