Populism in Canada: A New Surge

For the first time in modern Canadian history, the leader of one of the two governing party was chosen on a decidedly populist platform. Before the election of Pierre Poilievre as leader of the Conservative Party, many believed that Canada was immune to populism. In the months following his arrival as leader of the Official opposition, the polls in his favor soared. So much so, that it prompted Prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation. The success of Poilievre’s stand in favor of the working class also forced the main left-wing party, the NPD, to adopt an even more populist tone. Does Pierre Poilievre’s populism come from Donald Trump’s playbook? Are the 2022 truckers’ occupation of Ottawa and the post-Covid pandemic inflationary context explanatory factors? This new populism made in Canada is essentially economic, with no nativist component. But its first victims were carbon pricing policies to combat climate change. From a global perspective, what lessons can we draw from this shift in Canadian politics?

Eric Montigny is professor of Political Science at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada.