Carney Falls Short of Winning Majority

Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal party did a lot better in Monday's Canadian election than many people would have predicted a few months ago—but they fell just short of winning a majority, according to the latest projections. While recounts in a few races could alter the total, the party is currently at 169 seats, the Globe and Mail reports. Without a majority of at least 172 seats in Canada's 343-seat Parliament, Carney will need the votes of lawmakers from other parties to pass legislation. This isn't a new situation for the party—the federal elections in 2019 and 2022 also resulted in Liberal minority governments.

• Congratulations from Trump. Carney's office said Trump congratulated the prime minister in a phone call and the leaders agreed that the US and Canada should work together as two "independent, sovereign nations." The CBC notes that the statement conflicts with a White House statement Tuesday that said the election result "does not affect President Trump's plan to make Canada America's cherished 51st state." Carney's office said the leaders agreed to meet "in the near future."

• Other parties. The Conservatives were projected to win 144 seats, with 22 for the Bloc Quebecois, seven for the New Democratic Party, and one for the Green Party. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre lost the Ottawa seat he had held for more than 20 years. McGill University political science professor Daniel Béland tells the AP that if Poilievre chooses to remain as leader of the official opposition, he might have to ask another Conservative lawmaker in a safe district to resign so he can seek the seat in a by-election. "Still, losing your seat when some people within your own party think you're the main reason why it failed to win is a clear issue for Poilievre," Béland says.
• Leftist party could hold balance of power. The leftist NDP, which has worked with previous Liberal governments, had a terrible night on Monday, both in terms of seats won and its share of the popular vote. Its leader, Jagmeet Singh, resigned after losing his Vancouver-area seat and the party doesn't have enough seats to retain official party status. But the party's situation is a "paradox," former NDP strategist Karl Bélanger tells the Globe and Mail. "Even though they have had their worst electoral result in history … they keep the balance of power and with that, they can potentially negotiate some gains with the Liberal party," he says.

(More Canada stories.)