Mark Carney has officially won the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as both Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party, following a decisive victory over three rivals in the party leadership contest. The former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England is expected to be sworn in within days.
In a bold and somber acceptance speech, Carney warned of “dark, dark days” ahead, blaming strained relations with the United States under President Donald Trump. “We face an existential challenge brought on by a country we can no longer trust,” he declared, pledging to keep retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in place until “Americans show us respect.”
His comments come amid heightened tensions between Ottawa and Washington. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January after nine years in office, had recently accused the U.S. of treating Canada as “the 51st state,” in reference to Trump’s latest round of tariffs and inflammatory rhetoric.
Carney now takes the reins of a Liberal Party preparing for a federal election that must take place by October 20, though it could be called as early as this month.
Chrystia Freeland, who placed second in the leadership race, expressed her support for Carney following the announcement. Speaking to reporters, she confirmed she would run in the next election and noted that any role in Carney’s cabinet would be at his discretion. Freeland had resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet in December, a move that triggered political unrest and accelerated the Prime Minister’s exit.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre swiftly criticized Carney’s victory, alleging that the Liberal Party is attempting to mislead Canadians into granting it a fourth term. He accused Carney of benefiting financially from decisions that moved Canadian jobs and wealth to the United States, and called for a new Conservative government that would “put Canada first.”
Carney, in turn, dismissed Poilievre’s criticisms, warning that his rival’s economic policies would weaken the country further.
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh offered congratulations to Carney via a post on X (formerly Twitter). He urged all Canadian leaders to stand together in defending the nation from what he called the “threat posed by Donald Trump,” while acknowledging that policy disagreements would persist.
