Mark Carney's Liberal Party won Monday's Canadian general elections, according to local media projections, after a campaign focused on U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against the country. However, according to preliminary results, the Liberals might remain a minority in Parliament and would thus have to govern with the support of another party.

A few months ago, the path seemed clear for the Canadian Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre to return to power, after a decade of Justin Trudeau's leadership. But Donald Trump's return to the White House and his unprecedented offensive against Canada, marked by tariffs and annexation threats, changed the dynamic.

In Ottawa, where the Liberals gathered for the election night in a hockey arena, the announcement of the results triggered a burst of applause and enthusiastic cheers.

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“I'm so happy,” said Dorothy Goubault from the Thousand Islands region in Ontario on site. “I'm glad because we have someone who can talk to Mr. Trump on his level. Mr. Trump is a businessman. Mr. Carney is a businessman, and I think they can both understand each other.”

For Minister Steven Guilbeault, “the numerous attacks from President Trump on the Canadian economy, as well as on our sovereignty and very identity,” have really mobilized Canadians,” he stated on public channel CBC And voters “saw that Prime Minister Carney had global stage experience.”

Mark Carney had not yet spoken by midnight local time (04:00 GMT), while the vote counting was still ongoing.

In the long lines outside polling stations all day, voters highlighted the importance of this election, calling it historic and decisive for the future of this country of 41 million inhabitants.

“Chaos”

At 60, Mark Carney, a novice in politics but a renowned economist, managed to convince a population worried about the economic and sovereign future of the country, that he was the right leader in these troubled times. The former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England consistently reminded the public during the campaign that the American threat to Canada is real.

“They want our resources, our water. Americans want our country,” he warned. “Chaos has entered our lives. It’s a tragedy, but it’s also a reality. The key question of this election is who is best positioned to stand up to President Trump?” he said during the campaign.

To face this, he promised to maintain tariffs on American products as long as Washington's measures remain. But also to develop trade within his country by lifting customs barriers between provinces and seeking new markets, especially in Europe.

On the other side, the Conservative leader, who promised tax cuts and reductions in public spending, did not manage to convince the voters of this G7 country, the 9th largest global power, to turn their backs on the Liberals. According to analysts, Pierre Poilievre also suffered from his proximity, through his style and some of his ideas,  to President Trump, which alienated a part of the electorate.

At the Conservative party headquarters in Ottawa, Jason Piche said he was “surprised” by the results, “I thought it would be closer than that.” Elsewhere, Jean-Guy Bourguignon, a 59-year-old businessman, said he was “very sad.” “Is this really the country we want to live in?” he asked while listing the liberal policies, which he deems liberticidal.

Nearly 29 million voters were called to the polls in this vast G7 country spanning six time zones. And over 7.3 million people voted early, a record.