Canada’s ruling party elected Mark Carney as its new leader and prime minister on Sunday, replacing Justin Trudeau as the country grapples with historic tensions with the United States under Donald Trump.
Liberal Party leader Sachit Mehra said Carney, a 59-year-old former banker and political novice, had won 85.9 percent of the vote.
Carney beat former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, who came in second in a leadership race that drew more than 150,000 party members.
Carney warned in his victory speech in Ottawa on Sunday that “Americans want our country.”
“We cannot let Trump win,” he said, saying Canada needs to “build a new economy and build new trade relationships.” For his part, Trudeau stressed on Sunday in a farewell speech to party supporters that Canada faces an “existential challenge” due to threats from its neighbor under Trump.
“Canadians are facing an existential and economic challenge from their neighbor,” Trudeau told a rally in Ottawa ahead of the announcement of the new leader of the Liberal Party.
In January, Trudeau announced he was stepping down from the position he had held for nearly a decade, a move he took as he faced intense pressure, from the party’s declining popularity to the upcoming general election.
A handover between Trudeau and his successor is expected to take place within days as the new government is formed.
Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has led his rivals in terms of public support and funding for his campaign.
Trump has launched a trade war by imposing tariffs on imports from Canada, reiterating his desire for the country to become the “51st US state”.
The popularity of the Liberals has declined significantly, and Canadians hold them responsible for several problems, especially rising inflation and the housing crisis.
But after the Liberal Party was 20% behind in voting intentions last January, opinion polls have put it in a near tie with the Conservatives.
Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies
