Today's Edition
New York (dpa)
Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals won Canada's parliamentary election dominated by its relationship with the United States and threats from President Donald Trump, results from Monday's election night showed.
The Liberals have secured a fourth consecutive government, a rarity in Canadian politics, public broadcaster CBC reported.
In his victory speech, Carney said, "President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us: That will never, ever happen."
Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Canada as the 51st state of the United States. Additionally, he has imposed high tariffs on the neighbouring country to the north, whose economy is closely intertwined with that of the US.
After 99.16% of polling stations had reported, Elections Canada said on Tuesday that the Liberals had won 49% of the vote, which would translate to 168 seats in the House of Commons if confirmed.
The Conservatives came second with 42%, or 144 seats.
The Quebec regional Bloc Québécois came in a distant third with 6.7%, or 23 seats, with the New Democratic Party (NDP) coming fourth with 2%, or seven seats. The Green Party won 2.4% of the vote, resulting in one seat.
A party needs to win 172 seats to form a majority government, so the Liberals will need at least one coalition partner to form a majority, or will have to form a minority government.
Turnout was 67.15%, Elections Canada reported in preliminary figures. Over 28.5 million people were eligible to elect all 343 members of the House of Commons in Ottawa.
Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat and congratulated Carney on his win.
"I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Carney on leading this minority government," Poilievre said in a speech in Ottawa.
"We'll have plenty of opportunity to debate and disagree, but tonight we come together as Canadians ... We will do our job to hold the government to account."
Carney's victory speech in Ottawa focused on Trump: "As I've been warning, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country," he said to cries of "Never!" from the audience. "These are not idle threats," he warned.
"When I sit down with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future economic and security relationship between two sovereign nations and it will be with our full knowledge that we have many, many other options than the United States to build prosperity for all Canadians," Carney continued.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa congratulated Carney.
"The bond between Europe and Canada is strong - and growing stronger," von der Leyen wrote on X on Tuesday.
"We'll defend our shared democratic values, promote multilateralism, and champion free and fair trade," she added.
Canada's electoral system is based on first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.
Carney, a former central banker, gained momentum in recent weeks, buoyed by voter antipathy to Trump.
The Conservatives campaigned on a platform of tax cuts and reduced government spending, but Poilievre's populist approach and Trump-style rhetoric appeared to have unsettled some voters amid heightened tensions with Washington
The vote was affected by Trump's comments that Canada become the "cherished 51st State of the United States." Trump's tariffs also irked lawmakers and voters and has been seen as an act of bullying against a smaller, weaker neighbour who has long stood with the US.
The Liberals have governed Canada, a nation of roughly 40 million people, since 2016. Initially elected with a majority, they have led a minority government in recent years under former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Citing declining public support due largely to cost-of-living concerns, Trudeau left office in March, paving the way for Carney's election as party leader and the next prime minister.
Carney subsequently called snap elections, pre-empting a looming no-confidence vote. Under Canadian law, the next election was due by the autumn - four years after the last vote in October 2021.
The 60-year-old Carney brings national and international crisis experience. During the financial crisis, the politician from Alberta led the Canadian central bank from 2008.
Between 2013 and 2020, Carney was the central bank chief in the UK during the turbulent Brexit phase, and subsequently, until January this year, he was the UN special envoy for climate action. He advocates for closer cooperation with Europe and Asia to reduce trade dependency on the US.
According to polls, most Canadians believe Carney is best suited to stand up to Trump.
The election was held in the wake of a tragic incident in Vancouver at the weekend, when a man drove a car into a crowd of people at a Filipino community street festival, killing at least 11 people.
A 30-year-old suspect was arrested. Police said it was not an act of terrorism.
