Mugdha Das

Mark Carney elected as new PM of Canada, replacing Justin Trudeau

Digital Desk: In a landslide victory, Mark Carney was overwhelmingly elected as the leader of Canada's Liberal Party and the country's next prime minister on Sunday. The former central banker secured an impressive 85.9% of the ballots cast in the party leadership vote. Carney, 59, will take over from outgoing party leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the coming days. However, his tenure as prime minister may be short-lived, as Canada is required to hold elections by October.

Carney has the option to call a snap poll within weeks, but current polls suggest the opposition Conservatives are slight favorites to win. In his victory speech, Carney took a defiant stance against US President Donald Trump, warning that the United States is seeking to exert control over Canada.

Born on March 16, 1965, in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Mark Carney grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. Carney presided over the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. He was chosen to be the first non-Brit to lead the Bank of England since its founding in 1694 after assisting Canada in coping with the worst effects of the 2008 financial crisis.

He took on the role of special envoy for climate action and finance at the United Nations in 2020.

Carney used to be an executive at Goldman Sachs. Before being named deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003, he spent 13 years working in London, Tokyo, New York, and Toronto. He has no background in politics.

Carney graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1988, followed by master's and doctorate degrees in economics at Oxford University. He played ice hockey and served as Harvard's backup goalie.

Carney holds Canadian, UK, and Irish citizenship. He has decided to finally obtain only Canadian citizenship, even though it is not needed by law.

He has four daughters with his British-born wife, Diana.