Mark Carney Is Canada's Next Prime Minister, but When Will He Be Sworn In?

Following the news that Justin Trudeau would be stepping down as Canada's prime minister, there was plenty of intrigue about who would replace him. Now we know that Mark Carney will be Canada's next prime minister after he was elected by the Liberal Party.

Following the news that Carney would be leading Canada this year, many wanted to learn more about who he is, and also understand when he might get sworn in. Here's what we know.

The exact date for Carney's swearing-in has not yet been set, but reporting suggests that it could happen sometime early in the week of March 9, which means that Trudeau won't spend much time as a lame duck. Carney has worked at the highest levels of finance, but has never held public office prior to being elected, and he'll have to manage a major economic headwind right out of the gate.

In his speech accepting his role as Canada's leader, Carney addressed the question of Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports head-on.

"Donald Trump as we know has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell, on how we make a living," he said. "He's attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses and we cannot let him succeed and we won't."

"We didn't ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves, so the Americans, they should make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, Canada will win," Carney continued, brutally owning America not just for its economic policies but also for its inferiority in ice hockey.

What's even more striking, though, is the way that Trump's tariffs, and his administration's general approach towards Canada, has actually made Carney and his party more popular.

Carney was not elected prime minister by the Canadian populace, but he will face a general election soon that's to be held no later than Oct. 20, 2025, but could be called sooner. For most of 2024, it looked like the country's Conservative party would take power during that election, but Trump's tariffs, and his regular suggestion that Canada could become the 51st state, have led to a resurgence in popular support for the Liberal Party.

It's undoubtedly striking to hear an elected leader from one of our neighbors suggest that the United States should be viewed as an adversary, but it's not a position that Carney or the Canadian people asked for. Instead, the United States' own policy has forced our closest ally to view as a potential threat both economically and militarily.

Carney's victory suggests that the Liberals see him as the best person to lead the country through this potentially difficult time. Given that 2025 will see the Canadian populace weigh in as well, we'll find out whether they agree with the Liberal party's assessment of Carney's strengths, and whether Carney can prove to be a leader who will stand up to Trump.