Name? Justin Trudeau
Westphalian identity? Canadian
Age? 50
Why is he in the news? After more than two weeks of protests across Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to invoke the 1988 Emergencies Act, granting the federal government far-reaching, albeit temporary, power. If that weren’t enough for the press, billionaire Elon Musk tweeted a meme comparing the Canadian leader to Hitler this morning…
Why do we care? Like Musk, many have criticised the response by the police and all levels of government as either inadequate (to physically stopping the protests) or overreaching (in expanding money laundering and antiterrorism powers). In an age where freedom and privacy are continuously challenged and reimagined, Trudeau faces an uphill battle as he tries to reassert control over the trucking, and potentially the financial, industry.
Why should you care? The so-called freedom convoy shut down the pivotal border crossing of the Ambassador Bridge for over a week, threatening a trade relationship valued at more than US $700bn. What began as a protest against the federal vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border has now transformed into a stew of anti-mandate and anti-government frustration. You should care 4/10 about these protests, which included members of alt-right movements in Canada and citizens who simply have built up frustration from the past two years of pandemic and strict Canadian restrictions.
Who else cares? French President Emmanuel Macron. Copycat “Freedom Convoy” protests have begun across Europe in France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Macron cares the most about these solidarity protests though as they have managed to block parts of the Champs-élysées just two months before presidential elections.
Any further comments? If, like us, you’re concerned about whether Trudeau and his fellow Canadians will maintain their reputation for unparalleled kindness and practicality, don’t worry, the Canadians are worried too. Despite Musk’ latest depiction of Trudeau, we’re confident that the Canadian is still far from acting like his Southern neighbours, much less Hitler.
