Former central bank head Mark Carney won the race for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada and will replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, reports Reuters. The 59-year-old Carney received 86% of the votes in the election, in which just under 152,000 party members participated.
Carney, a newcomer to politics, claimed that he is best suited to revive the party and manage trade negotiations with Trump, who threatens additional tariffs that could undermine Canada's export-dependent economy. He stated that his experience as the head of central banks in two G7 countries — Canada and England, — means he is the best candidate to work with Trump.
«There is a man trying to weaken our economy, — Carney said about Trump. — He attacks Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We cannot allow him to succeed». He also added that «we will have to do things we never imagined before, at a speed we never thought possible».
In January, Trudeau announced he would resign after more than nine years in power, as his approval rating sharply declined, forcing the ruling Liberal Party to hold elections.
«Make no mistake, this is a moment defining the nation's fate. Democracy — is not a given. Freedom — is not a given. Even Canada — is not a given», — Trudeau said at a party meeting.
Carney stated that he would continue the policy of implementing retaliatory tariffs. «Our government will maintain tariffs until the Americans show us respect», — he noted.
Meanwhile, at a protest rally outside the Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa on Sunday, dozens of Canadians held signs protesting against Trump, without touching on domestic policy. «There is a rally-around-the-flag moment that we would never have predicted a year ago, — said University of British Columbia politics professor Richard Johnston. — I think we are now saying that the liberals are saved from oblivion».
Photo: Reuters