Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shows that he is comfortable jumping into crowds to gladhand and pose for selfies (AFP).
OTTAWA — The phenomenon that is Justin Trudeau continues to soar one year after his landslide election.
On the eve of this anniversary, the Canadian prime minister’s approval rating reached 65 percent (compared with the previous Tory administration, which peaked at 42 percent), while his celebrity and policies have molded him into the new liberal standard-bearer on the world stage.
Early on in his mandate, the son of former prime minister and liberal lion Pierre Trudeau staked out deficit spending and open border policies, rejecting the divisive politics of his predecessor Stephen Harper.
The former teacher and amateur boxer has earned praise for moves like budgeting billions in spending to bolster a fragile economy, promoting feminism and handing out parkas to Syrian refugees — bucking the rise globally of the ultra-right.
His fans include United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US President Barack Obama and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
Trudeau’s impressive rise — defeating a sitting government with a third-placed party — is largely attributed to his outreach to millennials.