Labor reserves: what kind of policy is expected from the new Prime Minister of Canada
Justin Trudeau's ten-year "era" in power in Canada has come to an end. At the congress of the Liberal Party, Mark Carney was elected as the new leader. In the coming days, the British king's representative, the Governor-General of Canada, will officially propose to him to begin forming a new government. Carney is taking office at a difficult time for both his party and the country, so his tenure as prime minister may be short-lived. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
The expected victory and the upcoming elections
Carney's victory in the internal party elections was predictable. He won 86% of the vote, significantly ahead of former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
He is expected to receive official permission from the Governor General of Canada to form a government in the near future. Meanwhile, according to analysts, the new cabinet of Ministers will not last long. Parliamentary elections in the country are scheduled for the end of October. However, Carney is likely to try to use the electoral momentum from his appointment and initiate early elections within the next few weeks.
At the same time, according to the Canadian media, the main opponents of the liberals, the Conservative Party led by Pierre Pouillevre, are ready to demand that elections be held as soon as possible. Indeed, according to polls, they are significantly ahead of their competitors, gaining just over 40% of the vote.
Pouillevre himself said during a speech at the rally that his opponents were trying to deceive Canadians by replacing Trudeau with Carney. "They want to be re-elected for a fourth term, replacing Justin Trudeau with his economic adviser Mark Carney. Carney's advice led to higher taxes, housing costs, and food prices, while he personally earned billions of dollars by moving thousands of jobs from Canada to the United States. By working for Trudeau, Carney made Canada weaker and poorer," he said.
According to Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, now the Canadian liberals will have to try to solve the almost impossible task of preventing economic difficulties from leading to a change of policy and leadership.
— Today, unlike politically or culturally biased liberals, we have economic ones. That is, those who put the problem of the economy in the first place," the expert emphasizes.
The English candidate
Vasiliev notes that in Canada, conservatives traditionally replace liberals, and it has not yet been possible to avoid this pattern. However, it is important to keep in mind that Carney is not a professional politician, governor, or member of parliament.
Mark Carney stands out among his fellow party members not only for his detachment from the political agenda, but also for his very specific biography. His past as head of the Bank of England should help establish ties with London, which is especially important in the current environment, said political analyst Vasily Egorov.
— Carney became the first foreigner to head the Bank of England. In addition, he is known as a man who knows how to work with different political forces. In his position, he worked with the Conservatives for a long time, but eventually officially supported the Labor Party. He remained on good terms with Starmer and Rachel Reeves (the Chancellor of the Exchequer). This is important for London, given the difficult current relations with the United States," Egorov recalled.
America is to blame for everything
At the same time, Mark Carney's figure stands out among his fellow party members for its relative moderation in the context of the trade war with the United States. In this sense, he will try to use the confrontation with the Trump administration as an opportunity to consolidate the electorate.
"I know these are dark days. Dark days caused by a country we can no longer trust. We are going through a shock, but let's never forget these lessons. We have to take care of ourselves. And we have to take care of each other. We need to come together in the difficult days ahead. We can, and we will overcome this crisis," Carney said in a speech after his appointment, adding that he would never allow Canada to become the 51st U.S. state.
In many ways, his candidacy is due to the informal status of Donald Trump's antipode, says American political scientist Malek Dudakov.
— Carney's victory was expected, he was leading in the internal ratings. Unlike Christie Freeland, who proposed deploying British nuclear weapons in Canada (itself leased from the United States), he is not a populist. Carney is a technocrat, a financier who used to promote the green agenda, was against Brexit, and repeatedly criticized the 47th president of the United States. And he is obviously betting on a confrontation with Trump and will take advantage of the anti—American sentiments that have emerged recently," the source said.
Dudakov also highlights the deplorable state of the Canadian economy, which leaves Justin Trudeau's successor.:
— During the Trudeau era, the liberals' ratings dropped seriously: the migration crisis, the housing crisis, and the social sphere. The waiting list for doctors takes 40-50 weeks, and euthanasia is imposed on many Canadians. I think liberals don't have the answers to these challenges.
At the same time, the plot of recent weeks, gathered around the aggressive foreign policy of the new American administration, still remains the most important topic of public discussion.
According to Vladimir Vasiliev, the new prime minister will appeal to Canadian nationalism and identity, saying that they really want to turn them into a colony or protectorate of their southern neighbor. This factor can mobilize Canadian society, which will evaluate the liberals' activities not by social or economic indicators, but by preserving Canada's independence.
— Everything will depend on how Carney is perceived as a person who will really fight for independence and will be able to stand up to Trump. This is a problem of words and deeds. That is, he can be quite loud in speeches, but in reality he will not be able to prove that he can really unite Canadian society in the struggle for its independence," the expert notes.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
