Former central banker Mark Carney has won the race to lead Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, according to official results announced on Sunday.
Carney, 59, secured a decisive victory with 86% of the votes, defeating former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest that saw participation from nearly 152,000 party members. His leadership comes at a challenging time for Canada, which is engaged in a trade war with longtime ally the United States under President Donald Trump and is preparing for an imminent general election.
Speaking at the party gathering, Carney took direct aim at Trump, drawing loud boos from the audience. “There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy,” he said. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.” He also pledged a new approach to governance, stating, “This won’t be business as usual. We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”
Trudeau, who has led Canada for more than nine years, announced his resignation in January following a sharp decline in approval ratings, prompting the Liberal Party to hold a swift leadership race. In his farewell speech, Trudeau underscored the significance of the moment. “Make no mistake, this is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given,” he said.
Carney, despite his lack of prior political experience, positioned himself as the best candidate to rejuvenate the party and navigate trade negotiations with Trump, who has threatened additional tariffs that could severely impact Canada’s export-dependent economy. In response to Trump’s levies, Trudeau had imposed C$30 billion in retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
Carney’s victory marks the first time a political outsider with no prior elected experience has ascended to the role of Canadian prime minister. He has argued that his tenure as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England makes him uniquely qualified to confront the economic challenges posed by Trump.
The prospect of a fresh start under Carney, coupled with Trump’s tariffs and his repeated remarks about annexing Canada as the 51st US state, has sparked a resurgence in Liberal Party support.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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