Canada’s Liberal Party has secured a fourth term, completing a remarkable political comeback and delivering a landmark victory for former central banker and political newcomer Mark Carney, who now prepares to go head-to-head with U.S. President Donald Trump.
This victory comes barely months after the party was projected to have a devastating defeat in the elections. As The Guardian reports, until the end of 2024, internal discussions within the Liberal party were grim: under their most optimistic scenarios, they could only hope of holding Conservatives to a minority government. Outright victory was nowhere on their party’s radar.
“We were dead and buried in December. Now we are going to form a government,” David Lametti, a former Liberal Justice Minister, told CTV late on Monday. “We have turned this around thanks to Mark,” he said.
But Trump’s threats to annex the country to make it the 51st state, his belittling of Trudeau as “governor” and threats of economic coercion have all contributed to a sharp feeling of anger and betrayal towards Canada’s southern neighbour.
The CBC and CTV broadcasters earlier projected that Carney’s Liberals would win the election, although they were unclear whether they would obtain an outright majority.
Carney and a number of his top ministers, including Chrystia Freeland and Melanie Joly, are also projected to win their seats.
Former US President Joe Biden has congratulated Carney on his win, saying he will make a “strong leader”.