Good morning. He is the abrasive leader who has taken his party from the conventional right to the populist flank. He paints a dark vision of a “broken” nation and promises to put his country first. He is fond of hurling insults at his political opponents, says he wants to take back control of the border – and Elon Musk loves him. His name is Pierre Poilievre, and he is the favourite to win Canada’s next election.
Poilievre’s similarities to Donald Trump are linked to his positioning as a champion of the anti-vaccine mandate “Freedom Convoy” of truckers that paralysed Ottawa in 2022 – but he has a very different political history, and operates in a very different ecosystem. Now that Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation, in recognition of his unpopularity ahead of a likely spring election, he will have to test his aggressive style against a new opponent – but at the moment, most analysts think that he is likely to prevail.
