Canada's new prime minister calls snap election amid tensions with Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a snap election for April 28, citing the need for a strong mandate to confront the ongoing threat posed by US President Donald Trump’s trade actions and sovereignty challenges.

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the two nations after Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and repeatedly mocked Canada’s sovereignty, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Carney, who was sworn in on March 14, initially expressed willingness to cooperate with Trump but took a more combative stance this weekend, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.

“Our response must be to build a strong economy and a more secure Canada. President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen.”

The call for an election, which was not due until October, highlights the extent of the deteriorating relationship between the two countries, longtime allies and major trading partners. Trump has previously suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state, intensifying the sense of threat in Canada.

Carney's election campaign will center around securing Canada's sovereignty and tackling the negative fallout from Trump’s actions. The Liberal leader also proposed cutting the lowest income tax bracket by one percentage point, aimed at addressing the economic concerns exacerbated by the trade dispute.

“The polling suggests that the number one concern that Canadians have right now is the potential negative fallout of Donald Trump and the threatened tariffs,” said Nik Nanos, chief data scientist at Nanos Research.

Despite being a newcomer to political campaigning, Carney, a former central banker, has seen a surge in his party’s popularity since January. The Liberals now have a slight edge in public support over the Conservative opposition, which has criticized Carney as an elitist and questioned his financial transparency.

“People are focused on the here and now and the near-term future, not on what happened over the last 10 years,” said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, pointing to the shift in public attention.

The election will be pivotal for Canada, with Carney needing to solidify support, especially in Quebec, where his French-language skills have faced scrutiny. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, fluent in French and with extensive political experience, is expected to be a strong competitor.

Despite criticisms of Carney’s inexperience, politics professor Laura Stephenson suggests that the Trump factor could shift voters' perceptions. "I have a feeling we’re going to see a little more grace extended than is usually given to politicians during this campaign,” she said.

By Vafa Guliyeva