Former central banker Mark Carney is now the prime minister of Canada after being sworn into office in Ottawa.
Carney, who has never held office as an elected official, swore an oath of allegiance to King Charles III on Friday at Rideau Hall before jointly signing his official appointment with Governor-General Mary Simon.
“I, Mark Carney, do solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will truly and faithfully — and to the best of my skill and knowledge — execute the powers and trust reposed in me as prime minister,” Carney said before becoming confused about where to stand for his picture, which prompted laughter from attendees and the prime minister.
The new Canadian leader secured his mandate from the Liberal electorate last week during a party conference. He received over 80% of the vote to replace his predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
While Trudeau kept an expansive roster of ministers in his Cabinet, Carney is trimming the 36 members down by approximately half.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, who is currently representing Canada at the G7 summit in Quebec, will remain in government in her current role. She will be sworn in at a later time.
Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s deputy prime minister whose resignation in protest of her boss’s economic policies began the collapse of the previous government, will be Carney’s minister of transport and internal trade.
Freeland ran against Carney for Liberal Party leadership but came in a distant second place.
Carney previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and then later as governor of the Bank of England. He also worked for Goldman Sachs and as the United Nations special envoy for climate action and finance.
It is unclear how long Carney will serve as prime minister. Canada needs to hold elections by Oct. 20, but the government could call an election sooner.
His lack of a seat in Parliament will create minor logistical problems, such as an inability to participate in lawmakers’ debates and votes. He is also ineligible to participate in Parliament’s Question Period. There is some pressure for Carney, therefore, to call the election sooner to secure a tangible mandate from the broader Canadian public.
The situation parallels the resignation of Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, in 1984. The elder Trudeau stepped down and was replaced by Josh Turner, a former finance minister who never held elected office. Turner was among Canada’s shortest-serving prime ministers, and his election was widely regarded as a critical misstep for the Liberal Party.
Opposition to President Donald Trump and the White House’s continued economic punishments and diplomatic hostility lobbied toward Canada is central to Carney’s rhetoric.
“Donald Trump, as we know, has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell, on how we make a living,” Carney said after winning the Liberal Party’s support. “He’s attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses, and we cannot let him succeed, and we won’t.”
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“We didn’t ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” he added. “The Americans, they should make no mistake — in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that Trump has not yet spoken with Carney.
“When they do, we can provide a read-out on that,” Leavitt said.