Former central banker Mark Carney emerged victorious in the race to become the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party, as official results revealed on Sunday.
Carney, 59, captured an overwhelming 86% of the votes cast, surpassing former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest that witnessed participation from nearly 152,000 party members.
With this triumph, he is set to succeed Justin Trudeau as the nation’s prime minister. Carney will assume leadership amid a turbulent chapter for Canada, as the country finds itself embroiled in a trade conflict with its longtime ally, the United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump. Additionally, Canada faces the pressing obligation of holding a general election in the near future.
There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said of Trump, spurring loud boos at the party gathering. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”
“This won’t be business as usual,” Carney said. “We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”
Trudeau announced in January that he would step down after more than nine years in power as his approval rating plummeted, forcing the ruling Liberal Party to run a quick contest to replace him.