Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party secured another term in office following Monday’s election but failed to achieve the majority mandate he had sought to strengthen his position in trade negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat, acknowledging the Liberal victory while pledging that his party would hold the new minority government accountable.
A majority in Canada’s House of Commons requires 172 seats, which would have allowed the Liberals to govern without needing support from smaller parties.
Shachi Kurl, president of the polling firm Angus Reid Institute, explained the key reasons behind the Liberal win to Reuters. “It was driven by the ‘anybody-but-Conservative’ sentiment, concern over Trump’s tariffs, and the resignation of Justin Trudeau,” Kurl said, noting that Trudeau’s departure helped reunite left-leaning and traditional Liberal voters.
Carney had campaigned on a promise to take a firm stance against Washington’s tariffs and pledged significant investment to lessen Canada’s economic dependence on the U.S. Despite nearly a decade of Liberal leadership, the right-leaning Conservatives mounted a stronger challenge than many expected.
Historically, minority governments in Canada have tended to last no longer than two and a half years.
The election results marked a dramatic turnaround for the Liberals, who were trailing the Conservatives by 20 percentage points as recently as January. The political landscape shifted after Trudeau announced his resignation and Trump’s aggressive rhetoric on tariffs and annexation escalated.
“I remember just back in December when people were writing off the Liberal Party,” Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland told CTV. “There were even discussions about whether we would retain official party status. Tonight, with the clear indication that we will form the next government, this is an outstanding achievement.”
Freeland’s own resignation from the cabinet in December, following a clash with Trudeau, played a key role in setting off the chain of events that led to Trudeau stepping down.
