Mark Carney Sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister Amid Domestic and International Uncertainty

Mark Carney, Canada’s new Prime Minister. (Courtesy: Flickr)

RYAN LI: Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister on March 14 after winning 86 percent of the vote in the Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership race. His victory follows outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation and comes as Canada faces a turbulent political climate, with an upcoming federal election and renewed tensions with Washington over President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting Canada should become the United States’ 51st state.

Carney, a political newcomer, is the first Canadian prime minister never to have previously held elected office. He served as governor of the Bank of Canada from 2007 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020 before advising Trudeau on economic policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2024, he was appointed chair of the Liberal Party’s economic growth task force.

In his first weekend in office, Carney bypassed Washington for his inaugural foreign visit, opting instead for France and the United Kingdom—a pointed diplomatic move amid President Trump’s proposed tariffs and annexation rhetoric. 

Since the 2024 election, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state, a proposition nearly 90 percent of Canadians oppose. Speaking in Paris, Carney emphasized strengthening ties with “reliable allies,” a thinly veiled jab at the United States. Additionally, he also announced a $6 billion investment in an Arctic radar system with Australia, a move widely interpreted as an effort to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S.-run NORAD defense network.

At home, Carney faces an uphill battle. The Liberals control just 153 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, well short of a majority and relying on support from the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) to govern. 

While NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had pledged to withdraw support from the Liberals as recently as January 30, making the party vulnerable to losing a non-confidence vote and sparking a snap election, the NDP’s dismal polling—hovering at 12.4 percent, its worst in the 21st century—has forced Singh to walk his comments back, citing the threat of a U.S.-Canada trade war as a reason to delay elections. However, with a federal vote required by October 2025, there is no doubt that Canadians will be heading to the polls this year.

Trudeau’s departure and Carney’s arrival have boosted the Liberals’ polling numbers from a historic low of 20 percent to around 35 percent, narrowing the gap with the opposition Conservative Party, which has led in polls since early 2023. Some projections even suggest the Liberals could win a plurality of seats in the next election. 

Still, Carney’s tenure will likely be shaped by how voters perceive his leadership. Many voters perceive Carney as an unelected bureaucrat, and Carney will likely be forced to defend his predecessor’s decade-long legacy, marred by corruption scandals and economic struggles. 

It is important to note that the vast majority of Carney’s Cabinet ministers are holdovers from Trudeau’s government, suggesting more of the same. How Carney tackles these issues will determine whether how many years—or mere months—he can stay in power.