Former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and will take over as prime minister from Justin Trudeau, party chairman Sachit Mehra announced last night, quoted by DPA and BTA.
The 59-year-old economist won the Liberal Party leadership election with 85.9% of the vote, beating his main rival, former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
As Trudeau's successor, Carney is expected to take over as interim prime minister and run as his party's lead candidate in the general elections due in a few weeks.
The former head of the British and Canadian central banker entered the leadership race with a centrist agenda focused on the economy. He intends to continue Trudeau's course of resolute resistance in the trade war with the United States.
Carney gave his first speech as leader immediately after Mehra's announcement, telling jubilant supporters that "everything" in his life had prepared him for this moment.
“My parents were teachers and they stressed the importance of hard work, community and tolerance,“ he said.
“My [hockey] coaches were dedicated volunteers who taught me the importance of teamwork, ambition and, because this is Canada, humility,“ he added.
Carney pledged to “work day and night with one goal in mind, which is“ to build a “stronger Canada for all“.
According to a sociological survey by the television channel “CTV News“ (CTV News), 40% of Canadians believe that Carney would be the best politician to negotiate with Trump, which is significantly more than the 26% support for the leader of the conservative opposition Pierre Poiliever.
Carney is also considered competent because he is no stranger to managing national and international crises, notes DPA.
During the global financial crisis that began in 2008, he led the Canadian central bank. Observers say Carney is partly to blame for Canada's relatively good recovery.
During Brexit, he was the governor of the Bank of England, and until this January, Carney served as the UN's special envoy for climate finance.
The liberal politician promises a fundamental reform of the economy with tax breaks for the middle class, reducing bureaucratic obstacles and stronger encouragement of innovation and investment. Carney advocates closer cooperation with Europe and Asia to reduce dependence on trade with the United States.
Trudeau is now expected to set a date with Carney for the handover of government affairs and officially resign. This is expected to happen in the coming days.
The new prime minister may wish to reshuffle the cabinet, although observers say this is unlikely given the expected new elections.
Parliament is due to reconvene on March 24.
The opposition plans to introduce a vote of no confidence, which should trigger new elections in the coming months. Carney could, however, call a new election before that date. This could be a tactical move, as polls show that support for the Liberals has increased significantly in recent months. For months, a takeover by Poiliever's Conservatives was considered highly likely. However, following Trudeau's resignation and the extraordinary threat of tariffs by US President Donald Trump, polls show that there is now no clear winner in the race. Carney's election also marks the end of an era for Trudeau, who is stepping down after more than nine years as prime minister. Trudeau has become increasingly unpopular in recent years over a series of reforms in Canada, notably rising prices, a lack of access to housing and unfulfilled election promises. promises.
Trudeau was the leader of the Liberal Party for about 11 years and prime minister since late 2015.
Initially promising positive policies and pursuing “sunny paths“, he was praised by many as a ray of hope.
Recently, the pressure on Trudeau has increased significantly - his approval rating has fallen sharply and calls for his resignation have become increasingly strong, especially after the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Freeland.