The Canadian elections will matter for India too

Canada is generally seen as a benign middling power with a Scandinavian penchant for high-quality living and ordinariness in its current affairs. But lately, it has seen all manner of issues exploding within and around it: A national housing crisis, a cost of living crisis and incendiary threats from United States (US) President Donald Trump, who first mooted the idea of making Canada the 51st state of the US on his campaign trail.

- Nikhil Kanekal

The situation made Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister (PM) at the time, deeply unpopular. After Trump won a second term, a Canadian federal election seemed imminent. Trudeau loyalists, including deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, broke ranks and castigated his policies, prompting him to resign in January. Parliament was suspended till late March and a new Liberal Party leader was to be chosen, making the person the first unelected PM of Canada—a unique situation.

All this felt as if it was happening in the background because Trump had become the lead character in the lives of Canadians. Trump's tariffs against Canada (if he does push them into effect tomorrow) are expected to drive the nation into a deep recession—the US is Canada's largest trading partner. At risk are deeply integrated supply chains in industries such as automotive, agriculture and energy, carefully put together since the creation of the North American free trade zone in the 1990s.

Canadians are extremely angry. Lately, they have avoided buying American goods, cancelled holidays south of the border and asked each other to go "Elbows Up!"—a war cry from ice hockey that asks team members to anticipate unfair play from the other side (and not skate away from a fight).