(Adnkronos) – With the promise to defend Canada from Donald Trump who “is trying to weaken our economy, is attacking our families, workers and industries”, Mark Carney has become the new leader of the Liberal Party and therefore the next prime minister to replace the outgoing Justin Trudeau. But the timing and methods of the handover between the man who has led Canada for 10 years and the former governor of the Bank of Canada and England are yet to be determined, also because there is a strong possibility of an early election, currently scheduled for October.
First, Trudeau, who stepped down as party leader in January and not yet as prime minister, must formally submit his resignation to the “governor general”, Mary Simon. After this meeting, for which a date has not yet been set, Carney, as the new leader of the majority party, will be sworn in before the representative of the head of state, who is King Charles, and the new prime minister will be invited to form the new government.
But the development considered increasingly likely by observers is that Carney, who does not have a seat in Parliament, will soon call early elections, or that these will be reached with the approval of motions of no confidence by the opposition at the resumption of Parliament’s activity on March 24, after the prolonged suspension.
The political landscape has completely changed since the Conservatives, strong of their electoral advantage that reached 20 points, called for a vote of no confidence in the Trudeau government at the end of last year, and now it would be in Carney’s interest to go to the polls quickly at this time of strong recovery of the Liberals in the polls.
In recent weeks, in fact, there has been a resounding reversal of the balance, with Trudeau’s party now given two points ahead, a result interpreted as a consequence of the patriotic reaction to Trump’s attacks, tariffs and threats of annexation. The Conservatives, and in particular their leader Pierre Marcel Poilievre, seem to be paying for their excessive closeness to Trump, Elon Musk and the entire Maga universe.
The choice of Carney, who won with over 89% over more political candidates such as former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose surprise resignation in December triggered the crisis that led to Trudeau’s exit, could give an acceleration in this direction. Canadians seem to consider the former banker the right leader to deal with the crisis triggered by Trump’s tariffs: a recent poll by the Angus Redi Institute records 43% who believe Carney is the best choice to face the US president, while 34% are betting on Poilievre.
“We didn’t seek this confrontation, but Canadians are always ready when someone else attacks, so Americans make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, Canada always wins,” Carney said after the election, promising that his government “will maintain tariffs until Americans show respect.” And above all ensuring that “America is not Canada, and Canada will never, ever be part of America in any form.”
At the same time Carney, who left his post as chairman of Brookfield Asset Management when he ran for office, promises to “build the strongest economy in the G7”, which Canada chairs this year, and to “reform government and the tax system” with incentives for investments and new building construction, in response to the housing crisis. “I think he’s the man of the moment, we need someone to help us strengthen our economy, with the uncertainty coming from the southern border we need someone like him,” says Patricia Jeflyn, a Liberal Party exponent.
“Two months ago, becoming the new leader of the Liberals seemed like a hopeless task,” summarizes David Coletto of Abacus Data, an Ottawa-based polling firm, for the Financial Times. “Thanks to Trump, Carney will emerge as the next prime minister with a 50% chance of achieving the unthinkable, leading the Liberals to a fourth consecutive election victory.”
