With its shameless conservatism, its wish to repair a “broken” nation, its “common sense” fight against the elites and all things awaken, its stunning personal attacks against political rivals, its pugilist use of degrading nicknames and its Open disdain of the information media, Pierre Poilievre, the leading front to become the next leader of Canada, has become a darling of the American right.
Some of President Trump’s most eminent supporters have publicly doubled Mr. Hairyvre, the leader of the main conservative party of the opposition, with compliments – a remarkable feat given that Canadian opposition leaders tend to attract little ‘Watch out for the United States, and even less praise.
But when Elon Musk, the richest man in the world who stages an aggressive campaign against the American federal bureaucracy on behalf of Mr. Trump, recently approved Mr. Hairyvre as the next chief of Canada, Mr. Hairyre S ‘is found in an uncomfortable situation.
Requested in a press conference Last month, if he accepted approval, Mr. Hairy said: “My three -year -old child just told me that he wanted to go on Mars, so I guess Musk would be the right guy for Put it in touch with ”, before adding that it would be great if Mr. Musk opened certain Tesla factories in Canada.
The support of Mr. Hairyvre by people close to Mr. Trump has always been a double -edged sword in Canada, where the American president is popular among the Hardcore conservatives but not among the traditional voters.
But this support is now likely to become a responsibility while Canada confronts a formerly unimaginable threat: the President of the United States, the ally closest to Canada, questioning Canada’s viability on several occasions as a nation, threatening to annex it by economic force and denigrate his Prime Minister as “governor.”
While patriotic feelings have increased in Canada, the example of Mr. Hairy has considerably reduced in several polls. Until a month ago, Mr. Hairyvre, 45, seemed to be a shoo-in to become the next leader of Canada after having built a two-digit lead in the polls by channeling national frustration and anger against the Prime Minister deeply unpopular, Justin Trudeau.
Mr. Trudeau is expected to resign next month as Prime Minister after his Liberal Party selected a successor, who automatically becomes Prime Minister. A general election is then likely to be held a few months later.
“For Hairyvre, the biggest challenge is that for the past two years, the villain in his story was Justin Trudeau,” said David Coletto, the founder of Abacus DataA survey company. “But this villain leaves now, and there is a new, larger and more villain that comes from outside the country – and it’s Donald Trump.”
“What Canadians are now trying to understand is who is the hero of this story, who will save them and protect them against this threat,” said Coletto. “And the conclusion that more people will choose Pierre Hairyre are now in the air.”
Mr. Hairyvre replied by attenuating his character of attack Dog and by going to a “Canada first“Message he pointed out in a Rally in Ottawa this weekend. Before hundreds of supporters, Mr. Hairy spent much of his speech to respond to the threat of the United States, promising to “support any burden and pay all prices to protect our sovereignty and independence”.
A spokesperson for Mr. Hairyis did not respond to requests from an interview.
The supporters of Mr. Hairy, said that he simply adapted to external developments and that he remained faithful to his long -standing conservative basic principles.
Ginny Roth, partner of CrestView strategy And a former communications director for Mr. Hairy, said that Canada was “a diversion from naive international liberalism who saw the world elites put the interests of their own business and, frankly, coupled with left causes, before the interests of ordinary workers. »»
Ms. Roth attributed to Mr. Hairyvre and the conservative dive in the polls to a Blip played by the Liberals after the announcement of the resignation of Mr. Trudeau, as well as a temporary reaction of “Rallye-le-Flat” among Voters to Mr. Trump Trump Trump Tariffs and his annexation threats.
No matter how the polls are evolving, Mr. Hairyvre’s situation shows how Mr. Trump’s aggressive foreign policy has turned the domestic policy of a major ally, experts said.
“With the Trump administration in power again, wreaking havoc in many ways, including trade with Canada, this place Mr. Hairyvre in a very difficult position,” said Jonathan MalloyA Canadian policy expert at Carleton University. “I think he will have to differentiate himself from Mr. Trump, much more than he was planning. His opponents, of course, will accuse him of being Trump-Lite. »»
A career politician, Mr. Hairy is known for his fight since his elected official in Parliament in 2004 at the age of 25. But it was in recent years that he has adopted the tactics and messages used by Mr. Trump and others, describing himself as a stranger fighting against a political, commercial, academic and media corrupt establishment.
He won the conservative management in 2022, after defending more than any other politician, the truckers who took over and paralyzed Ottawa, the capital, for weeks to protest against the anti-fatty mandates. Over the past two years, he has struck Mr. Trudeau and other politicians with a constant insult and personal attacks that are new to Canadian politics.
Mr. Poilievre gave his rivals on nicknames of insults, in particular “Fund Trust Trudeau” to Mr. Trudeau, the son of a former Prime Minister, and “Selout Singh” to the leader of the new Democrats, a smaller party left. Like Mr. Trump, he often says that problems can be resolved by “common sense” – a term used by populists to oppose ordinary people against an allegedly erroneous and corrupt elite, said Emily Laxer, expert in populism to University of York.
Although Mr. Hairy’s policies are based on traditional conservative ideas of the small government, free market and lower taxes, its populist tactics are a break from the past in Canada, said Ms. Laxer.
“There is evidence of a kind of imitation of Mail and Trump’s strategy,” said Ms. Laxer. “And certainly, they both benefited from the polarization of their political societies, and they contributed to this polarization.”
Mr. Hairyvre’s campaign against what he perceives as Woke and the information media, promising to get rid of the public broadcaster, CBC, also had him attribute to Fox News, Joe Rogan, Mr. Musk and D ‘Other high -level supporters of Mr. Trump, who tends to hate Mr. Trudeau.
Mr. Musk described as a “masterpiece” A video In which Mr. Poilievre, while eating an apple, collapsed with a journalist questioning him his use of populism. Bill Ackman, the billionaire of hedge funds, poster That Mr. Hairyvre was “extremely impressive” and “should be the next leader in Canada”, adding “to make Canada again big”. Mr. Musk replied With a 100%emoji.
Fred DeloreyA former national director of campaign of the Conservative Party, said that Mr. Hairyre had aroused this kind of reaction because of the power of his message.
“I have never seen a Canadian conservative chief resounding outside the country as Hairy Fait,” said Delorey, now president of public affairs of Northstar. “His style is direct to the point, and I think people appreciate him.”
Delorey said favorable comments from US law on Mr. Hairyvre would have no effect on Canadian voters. Mr. Hairyvre, he said, should remain focused on his message: “On what matters. Who cares if someone likes it or does not like it. “”
But Mr. Coletto, the sounder, said that these mentions and the attitude of Mr. Hairyvre to the American president will be factors during a general election which is abruptly moved from Mr. Trudeau to Mr. Trump.
“There is a subset of conservative supporters who really like Donald Trump, even today, despite everything he did,” said Coletto. “But Hairyvre has an equally large part of its base which does not do it.”
And during the next general electoral campaign, Mr. Hairy rivals are likely to grasp the endorsements, said Coletto, adding: “It is common in the countryside to remind voters who love who.”
