Mark Carney Becomes Canada's Prime Minister After Trump's 'Political Storm' Upends Election
OTTAWA — In a stunning result, former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney won the federal election on Monday, after US President Donald Trump's explosive rhetoric suddenly upended Canadian politics and changed the balance of power in the country.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was expected to win a landslide victory after years of voter frustration with Justin Trudeau's Liberal government. But the calculations were thrown into disarray when Trump unexpectedly proposed "joining Canada to the United States," calling it "a great opportunity to make Canada great for the first time."
Although the statement was initially dismissed as a Christmas joke, Trump did not back down. In subsequent interviews, he repeatedly stressed his seriousness about the idea, prompting Canadians to worry about US interference and begin to turn against conservative politicians at home.
The association between Poilievre and Trump's MAGA ideology has left many moderate voters bewildered. Chrystia Freeland, the former Deputy Prime Minister, has even called the movement "maple syrup MAGA," referring to the far-right infiltration from our southern neighbor.
Meanwhile, Mark Carney—who has served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the UK—has emerged as a "safe and dignified" choice. He has frequently denounced Trump's policies, and pledged to return Canada to a neutral, independent position in its relations with the US. Polls quickly showed that he was seen as the most capable person to deal with the White House in a tense environment.
Support from major media outlets, especially the state-funded CBC, helped Carney maintain an image of professionalism, modernity and cool – something many voters were looking for after a long period of economic and political turmoil.
Preliminary vote counts showed the Liberals had won about 8.3 million votes, slightly ahead of the Conservatives, who had won 7.9 million. Notably, Poilievre also lost his own riding – something that had not happened since 2004 – severely undermining his leadership of the party.
In a speech after his defeat, Poilievre said: “We have achieved our highest approval ratings in more than three decades, and I will continue to fight for the people who believed in us.” However, his political future is in doubt as he no longer has a seat in Parliament.
With Mark Carney's victory, Canada is entering a new era where fiscal management, international dialogue and a firm stance on national sovereignty become top priorities.