Former Bank of Canada governor elected leader of ruling party

According to CTV news, the event took place in the context of Canada facing a trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump. Mr. Carney, 59 years old, replaced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but will continue to take on the leadership role until his successor is officially inaugurated in the coming days. With 85.9% of the vote, Mr. Carney won overwhelmingly against his opponents.

Speaking after his victory, Mr. Carney strongly criticized US trade policy. "There are countries that are trying to weaken our economy. President Donald Trump has imposed unreasonable tariffs on Canadian goods, jobs and incomes. He is attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses, we cannot let that happen and we will not let that happen," Mr. Carney said.

He asserted that Canada would keep its retaliatory tariffs in place until the United States showed respect. "We don't want this fight, but when provoked, Canadians are ready. Make no mistake, Americans, in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win," he said.

The Trump administration’s policies, including imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods and announcing plans to annex Canada as the 51st state of the United States, have sparked outrage across the country. Many Canadians have whistled at sports games, canceled trips to the United States and avoided buying American goods when possible.

The rise in nationalist sentiment has helped the Liberal Party improve its polling position, giving it a big boost ahead of a general election due in the coming weeks. "The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, even our country. Think about it, if they succeed, they will destroy our way of life," Carney warned.

He stressed the difference between the two countries: “The United States is not Canada and Canada will never, under any circumstances, become part of the United States.”

Mr. Carney also warned of challenging days ahead: "These are dark times, caused by a country we can no longer trust. We are slowly getting over the shock, but we must not forget this lesson. Canada must take care of itself and unite more than ever."

From central banks to politics

According to the AP news agency (USA), Mr. Carney served as Governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and was highly appreciated for helping the country's economy recover faster than many other countries. In 2013, he became the first foreigner to lead the Bank of England since the institution was founded in 1694.

Despite his extensive experience in finance, Carney has never held a political position before. However, he has long had ambitions to enter politics and served as the UN special envoy for climate and finance in 2020.

Carney defeated former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who received just 8% of the vote. Trudeau had removed Freeland from her position as finance minister in December, although she remained as deputy prime minister and key point person for relations with the US. Disappointed with the decision, Freeland resigned and publicly criticized the government, helping to hasten Trudeau's departure.

Canada's Political Future

Once in office, Mr Carney is expected to trigger an early election. He could either call one himself or be pushed by opposition parties through a no-confidence vote in parliament later this month.

Despite his lack of political experience, Mr. Carney is considered a visionary and strong executive. But his biggest challenge is not only the upcoming election, but also how to deal with the tough policies of the Trump administration, a problem that Canada has never faced at such a tense level.