Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has won the race to become the new leader of the ruling Liberal Party, replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister, results announced Sunday showed.
Carney takes over the executive branch at a turbulent time for Canada, which is embroiled in a trade war with longtime ally the United States and faces a parliamentary election later this year.
The 59-year-old Carney won a landslide victory over former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, with 86 percent of the vote out of just under 152,000 party members who cast ballots.
Trudeau, who has been in power for more than nine years, announced in January that he would step down after his approval ratings plummeted, forcing the Liberal Party to seek a new leader.
“There is no room for error, this is a pivotal moment for our nation. Democracy is not a gift from heaven. Neither is freedom. Nor is Canada. And now, as we Canadians face existential challenges and an economic crisis, we are showing what we are made of,” Trudeau said.
His successor has said he is the best candidate for the leadership position, who will revive the party and oversee trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened his northern neighbors with additional tariffs that could hit the Canadian economy hard.
Mark Carney’s victory is the first victory by a candidate outside the world of politics. Although without political experience, Carney cited his experience as governor of two central banks, Canada and England, as his trump card, so he will know how to deal with Trump, he said.
During the campaign, he supported reciprocal tariffs against the US and a coordinated strategy to encourage investment. In addition, he believes that Canadian growth under Trudeau has not been enough.
At the beginning of the year, the Liberal Party lagged 20 percentage points behind the Conservatives. Two months later, the two parties are almost tied in the polls, but neither could form a majority government.
Party sources say the new prime minister will call a general election in the coming weeks, which must be held by October 20 at the latest.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has recently been compared by the Liberals to US President Trump. But Poilievre has not reciprocated.
“The Liberals are going to pull a dirty trick,” Poilievre said at a campaign rally. “They are going to try to win a fourth term by replacing Trudeau with his economic adviser Carney. Donald Trump will have a big smile on his face,” he added.
Carney, on the other hand, has said he has not played a major role in advising Trudeau, stressing that his many global commitments have left him with little time.
