What to know
- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is on his European tour – his first overseas trip as the leader of the opposition
- His agenda is focused on strengthening ties with the U.K. and Germany, particularly in terms of natural resources.
- An international relations expert says Poilievre may be able to win some points, but that it’s an “uphill fight.”
Pierre Poilievre has been making rounds to European nations, meeting with parliamentary counterparts and business leaders in his efforts to not only strengthen relations abroad but also to boost his reputation at home.
A move that’s “not unusual” for a leader of the opposition but “relatively little, relatively late,” according to Jack Cunningham, international relations professor at U of T, tells Now Toronto.
“Usually, it’s something that happens at an earlier stage of leadership – when the leader is relatively unknown and impressions are still fluid,” Cunningham says.
This is Poilievre’s first foreign trip as Opposition leader – a position he has held since 2022.
“Domestically, I think perceptions of him are pretty clear, pretty well-formed.”
In January, Abacus Data on public opinion of Poilievre’s leadership found that while support for him from the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is unwaveringly high, perception of his leadership from outside the party is comparatively much lower.
“What emerges is a portrait of a leader who has successfully consolidated and united his party’s base but has sustained virtually no good will beyond it,” David Coletto, founder and CEO of Abacus Data, writes.
As Poilievre works to modify that portrait, whether his work will win voters over is still up in the air.
“Carney has moved the Liberal Party significantly closer to the centre than it was under Justin Trudeau,” Cunningham says.
“Poilievre can suggest things, but a lot of what’s actually practical in what he suggests, Carney is already doing. That’s going to make it hard for him to get a lot of political traction out of these [European] talks.”
Canadians strongly support stronger European ties
Poilievre’s European tour comes at a time when Canadians strongly support deepening relationship with Europe. Public sentiment on China as an international partner
In visiting the United Kingdom and Germany, Poilievre promised that a Conservative government would “override bureaucracies” to speed up supplying Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to European allies – an expected focus given his support base.
Poilievre focused on natural resources, liquefied natural gas
Particularly at a time when the war in the Middle East has shut down fuel supplies and led to significant price hikes at gas pumps for Canadians, the issue of energy is likely to get people’s attention.
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“He probably sees a bit of an opportunity there because while Carney has talked a great deal about increased market access for our resources, not much has actually been done,” Cunningham says.
“By pointing to the gap between [Carney’s] rhetoric and reality, Poilievre probably thinks he can score some points.”
Whether Poilievre’s ambitions will bear fruits, however, is a different story. Cunningham predicts there is potential, but not without challenges.
“He may change some minds, and it’s conceivable that with the CPC still competitive, that Poilievre could make some gains. But it’s very much an uphill fight for him.”
