Special topic

The future Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney: what is known about him and his position on Ukraine

Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has been named the new leader of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada. He will replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January this year. Carney was the only candidate for party leader who was not part of Trudeau’s government and won significant support in the election, receiving 85.9% of the vote.

In the future, Carney will not only face competitors in the general election to be held this year, but also difficult negotiations with the United States over tariffs amid Donald Trump’s territorial claims. After his victory, Carney said in a speech that Trump is trying to take over Canada and that this must be resisted.

“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. If they succeed, they would destroy our way of life. America is not Canada. Canada will never be part of America in any form,” Carney added.

In his emotional farewell speech, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the country was facing an “existential challenge” from the United States. He also emphasized that he was proud of his government’s achievements over the past ten years.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of what we’ve done over the years. But now we are talking about our future as a party and a nation,” Trudeau said.

mark Carney, 59, has long been considered a possible leader of the Liberal Party, in part because of his solid reputation in the financial sector. He ran as an outsider, unrelated to Trudeau’s unpopular government, and emphasized his desire to focus on improving the country’s economic situation.

Trudeau announced his resignation before an important Liberal Party convention, where the party’s leadership was to be re-elected. It is expected that the prime minister wanted to avoid a situation where his fellow party members could force him to step down as leader. About 400,000 members of the Liberal Party were supposed to vote for the new leadership, but in fact only 150,000 of them cast their votes.
Despite this, the Liberal Party’s popularity has plummeted recently, and opinion polls predict its defeat in the general election, which is scheduled to take place no later than October 20.

In announcing his resignation, Trudeau acknowledged that the country is deeply divided. The parliament has been virtually paralyzed for several months, and intense disputes continue within the party.

“Canada needs to rest, and Canadians have earned the right to have a real choice in the next election,” the prime minister said.

Who is Mark Carney?

Mark Carney is a well-known Canadian economist who will celebrate his 60th birthday on March 15 this year. He received his financial education at Harvard University, where he also played hockey as a goaltender. He earned his master’s degree in Oxford, UK.

Prior to becoming Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003, Carney worked as an investment banker in cities including New York, London, Tokyo, and Toronto. He then held a position at the Canadian Department of Finance, and in 2008 returned to the Bank of Canada, becoming its governor and demonstrating his effectiveness during the global financial crisis.

In 2013, Carney became the Governor of the Bank of England, the first non-citizen to hold this position. He was invited to this position in particular to cope with the consequences of Brexit, and he successfully accomplished this task, serving in the post until 2020.

Despite his extensive experience in the financial sector, Carney does not have much political experience. However, he claims that his management skills and experience in financial institutions make him an ideal candidate to negotiate with the United States, particularly on possible issues with President Donald Trump.

What Mark Carney said about Ukraine

Although Mark Carney focuses on current issues in Canada and the United States, he does not ignore important issues related to Ukraine. He has repeatedly expressed his support for Ukraine, in particular for its aspirations to become a member of the European Union and NATO. He also emphasizes his full support for the Canadian government’s efforts to help Ukraine.

“I am proud of the military and humanitarian support that Canada has provided to Ukraine, including the fact that more than 300,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in our country. Canada is a strong ally of Ukraine. We admire the courage of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. As Prime Minister, I pledge that Canada will continue to stand by Ukraine in its fight for freedom against Russian aggression,” Carney said in a post on Platform X earlier this month.

Carney vs. Trump: Challenges for Canada’s new prime minister in relations with the United States

The election of a new Canadian prime minister took place against the backdrop of strained relations between Canada and the United States. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to turn Canada into the 51st state of America, and Justin Trudeau called him “Governor.” Trump believed that the unification of the two countries would allow for lower taxes, abolition of trade duties, and a more powerful defense against Russia and China. In response, Trudeau emphasized that Canada will never become part of the United States and noted that the two countries are already major partners in trade and security.

During the Liberal Party convention, the prime ministerial candidates also confirmed that the idea of Canada joining the United States is impossible. For his part, Trump postponed the introduction of new tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico until April 2. According to political science professor Allan Tupper of the University of British Columbia, the new Canadian prime minister will have to conduct difficult negotiations with Washington, particularly on tariff policy. The expert believes that under Carney’s leadership, Canada will become more decisive, nationalistic, and ready to defend its interests in the international arena.

Interesting facts about Mark Carney:

• From 2011 to 2018, Carney chaired the Financial Stability Board, which coordinated the activities of global financial institutions during the first term of Donald Trump’s presidency.
• He had the opportunity to participate in the G20 meetings, where he had the opportunity to personally observe the American president.
• Mark Carney supports Greta Thunberg, who is not supported by the Trump administration.
• Carney is a devout Catholic and has conservative views on moral values.
• He is a sports enthusiast and played hockey in his youth.
• Carney is a British and Irish citizen and has close ties to the international financial community.

Mark Carney’s family

Diane Fox Carney, Mark Carney’s wife, is a British economist and writer. She has worked extensively on environmental and social policy projects, and is the author of numerous books and has held various positions in research organizations. Diana was born in the UK and holds several academic degrees: philosophy, politics and economics, a master’s degree in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in international relations.

The couple met while studying at Oxford University and married in 1994, when Mark was completing his doctoral dissertation. They have four daughters, one of whom, Cleo, is currently studying at Harvard and is passionate about climate change and sustainable development. The Carneys try to maintain the privacy of their family, so information about the children is limited. In 2024, one of their daughters graduated from the University of Edinburgh. Diana Fox Carney is an art lover, and every year she and her husband add new works to their collection.

On Carney’s political beliefs

Carney immediately became the favorite among the candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, winning almost 86% of the vote in the internal party elections, while his main rival, Chrystia Freeland, received only 8%.

Carney is a strong opponent of trade wars and believes that the Trump administration’s policies are worsening the economies of not only the countries that are subject to tariffs, but also the United States itself. This is confirmed by the losses incurred by American companies due to the president’s economic measures.

As the head of the Bank of Canada, Carney proposed replacing the dollar as the world’s reserve currency with a new digital currency, which caused an extremely negative reaction among Trump’s supporters. In 2020, he also supported environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s speech at the Davos Forum, which angered the US president.

Carney is a devoted Catholic with more conservative views than his predecessor, is fond of sports, and has a private life that is difficult to use against him. In addition, he has close ties to the United Kingdom, is a citizen of this country and Ireland, worked as a central bank governor there, and has significant connections in the world of finance. Therefore, any attempts to attack Carney may face a strong response not only from him, but also from influential people who can have an impact on the US administration.

Canada’s new prime minister promises to be a serious challenge for the White House – he is an experienced crisis manager and does not plan to change his strategy because of the thoughts or actions of his American partners.