When Canada elected a majority Liberal government, my social media feeds lit up with chatter about the new government and Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau.
While I expected to see some fawning in Canadian social media over the Liberal victory, I was amazed at how Trudeamania engulfed the rest of the world.
From the United Kingdom to Australia to Spain, the international media has weighed in on “Canada’s incredibly good looking new prime minister.”
The day after the election, even some of my friends in Pakistan – young people certainly not glued to the ups and downs of Canadian politics – took to Facebook to celebrate Trudeau’s win with more enthusiasm than they have perhaps for any local leader – ever.
There were tongue-in-cheek rumours of him dethroning Imran Khan, one of the most charismatic Pakistani politicians. One Pakistani entertainment newspaper even offered him honorary Pakistani citizenship and a one-way ticket over.
Looks and hair aside, there are far more serious issues when it comes to what the world thinks of Canada right now. Canada’s international reputation has taken a beating in the last couple years.
This fall, a poll by Angus Reid highlighted that twice as many Canadians thought that the country’s reputation around the globe had worsened over the last 10 years.
Trudeau’s campaign made several big promises: better foreign, trade, climate and immigration policy, to name a few. His victory speech even seemed to channel U.S. President Barrack Obama’s “hope and change” mantra seven years ago, rallying the U.S. to unite and tackle its problems together.
Trudeau might have captured some positive global attention, but many eyes will be closely watching how he manoeuvres high-stakes issues, including Canada’s engagement with ISIS, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and climate change.
The real tests for Canada’s international reputation and how it fares under Trudeau will come soon. The G20 meeting in Turkey is in just a few weeks and the United Nation Climate Change conference in Paris is soon after, towards the end of November.
If indeed Canada’s reputation needs a makeover, it will require far more than a good hairstyle. It will need strategic policy action and commitment on tough issues – and that’s not the stuff of too many swooning Facebook posts. Let’s hope Trudeau is up to the challenge.