Trudeau succession

Who wants to become Canada’s prime minister now

Mark Carney, former head of Canada's central banks(Bild: AP/Jason Franson)

Following the resignation of Justin Trudeau, a new prime minister is being sought in Canada. So far, two people have announced their candidacy, including former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The second candidate is the former head of the British and Canadian central banks, Mark Carney. "I'm doing this because Canada is the best country in the world," the 59-year-old told his supporters. "But it could be even better". The 56-year-old Freeland announced her candidacy on Platform X. "I'm running to fight for Canada".

She has previously served as Minister of Trade, Foreign Affairs and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister under Trudeau. However, she announced her resignation in December following disagreements with him. Carney was Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. Before that, he was head of the Bank of Canada. "I'm not the usual suspect when it comes to politics, but this is not the time for ordinary politics," he said in Edmonton.

Mark Carney(Bild: AP/Jason Franson)

Chrystia Freeland(Bild: AP/Sean Kilpatrick)

Conservatives ahead in polls
The Conservatives are currently leading in the polls in Canada. The leader is Pierre Poilievre. The Liberals will decide on the new leader of their party on March 9. The winner could then take over as prime minister for a few weeks. However, this is only a matter of a few weeks until parliament reconvenes on March 24. The opposition could force an early election.