Populist pivot backfires

Poilievre delivering his concession speech accompanied by his wife Anaida Poilievre in Ottawa, Canada. — Nasuna Stuart-Ulin/The New York Times

WHEN protesting truckers rolled toward downtown Ottawa and proceeded to occupy the Canadian capital for four weeks, they got a welcome from a man waving to them from a highway overpass, his hands covered in knitted red mittens with white maple leaves on the palms.

The man was Pierre Poilievre, who would become the leader of the Conser­va­tive Party and who, until just recently, was widely referred to as Canada’s next prime minister. Soon he will have a new title: ex-Member of Parliament.