A 59-year-old former central banker, Mark Carney, has defeated his opponent Chrystia Freeland, with 86 percent votes, to emerge as the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and a successor of Justin Trudeau as prime minister.
In a contest between Carney and Freeland, the nation’s former Minister of Finance, 152,000 party members voted.
However, the United Kingdom and France have joined other world leaders in congratulating Mark Carney on his appointment as Canada’s new Prime Minister while praising outgoing leader Justin Trudeau for nearly a decade of impactful leadership.
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer took to social media to express their felicitations on Monday.
Macron emphasised the strength of Franco-Canadian ties during Trudeau’s tenure and extended his congratulations to Carney:
He wrote on X, “Congratulations to the future Prime Minister of Canada, @MarkJCarney.
“At a time when we are facing so many challenges, the ties between France and Canada are stronger than ever.
“Thank you to my dear friend @JustinTrudeau for these eight years of excellent cooperation.”
Starmer highlighted the importance of collaboration between Canada and the UK under Carney’s leadership:
“Congratulations to @MarkJCarney on his appointment as Canada’s new Prime Minister.
“I look forward to working closely with him on shared international priorities, including in the G7, and to further deepening the UK-Canada relationship together.
“My best wishes to @JustinTrudeau as he steps down from the role. I wish him well in his future endeavours,” he also posted.
