Blog

With Canadians – and even Quebecers – rallying around the flag in the face of threats from the Trump administration, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois is struggling to find its footing. The Quebec opposition party has been leading in the polls for more than a year, and leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has promised to hold a third referendum by 2030 if his party forms government in next year’s election.But U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and annexation have shaken up the political landscape in Quebec. Support for independence is suddenly lower than it has been in years, raising questions about whether the PQ needs to pivot away from sovereignty.For now, the party insists it’s staying the course. “We believe it’s something that inspires Quebecers to have people who are faithf...

Alternative for Germany appears to be headed for the strongest showing by a far-right party since World War II in Sunday’s national election and is fielding its first candidate to lead the country. Other parties say they won’t work with the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, and co-leader Alice Weidel has no realistic chance of taking the country’s top job. But AfD has become a factor other politicians can’t ignore and has helped shape Germany’s debate on migration.It has also become prominent outside Germany. The party has won enthusiastic support from Elon Musk, as well as attention from U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.AfD first entered Germany’s national parliament eight years ago on the back of discontent with the arrival of large n...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about the war in Ukraine Saturday as European allies fear a withdrawal of U.S. support for Kyiv’s efforts to defend against Russia’s invasion. A brief readout from Trudeau’s office Saturday afternoon said the two leaders spoke about the war, now entering its fourth year, ahead of a virtual G7 meeting scheduled for Monday.The conversation came as both Moscow and Washington have signalled that talks are progressing for a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — a remarkable change in U.S. diplomatic strategy that sought to isolate Russia after its wholescale invasion of Ukraine.It also comes as Ukraine and its European allies fear the U.S. president may scale back its support of Kyiv’s war effort.Russian ...

Liberal leadership candidates have contrasting plans for Canada’s federal public service — with presumed front-runner Mark Carney taking the most aggressive stance so far. Carney recently vowed to cap the size of the public service and rein in government spending.While he hasn’t said where this cap would be set or how much he would reduce spending, Carney told a press conference on Wednesday he would review program budgets and use new technology like artificial intelligence to improve efficiency.“As a result, we will balance the operational budget within three years,” Carney said.Rival candidate Karina Gould isn’t planning to trim the public service, her campaign said.“At a time when our country is under threat, on the brink of a major trade war and Canadians’ jobs are on the line, now is ...