Early results showed that the Liberals under the leadership of Justin Trudeau won all 32 mandates in the Atlantic provinces on the East Coast, where they previously had 16. The party also did well in Ontario and Quebec.

Trudeau, 43, who is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, is expected to succeed Stephen Harper as prime minister, according to forecasts by Canadian television networks.

Although final results are not available, the Liberals are expected to win 174 of Parliament’s 338 mandates, according to forecasts.

Strong impulse

Trudeau and his centrist Liberal Party came out strong towards the end of the election campaign after long occupying third place behind the Conservatives and the social-democratic NDP.

Trudeau was elected party leader just two years ago, and with his youthful appearance he had to fend off personal attacks from Conservatives that he was too young and not yet ready to lead the country.

But ultimately, after three consecutive Conservative governments, Canadians have demonstrated a widespread desire for change, and it has taken advantage of the fact that Harper is more unpopular than ever.

While cheers increased during the Liberal election vigil in Montreal, the atmosphere was more moderate at Conservative headquarters in Calgary.

Tax the rich

Among Trudeau’s election promises are higher taxes on the richest and lower taxes for ordinary Canadians, while he plans to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure projects to revive a stagnant economy.

Conservatives are not the only ones lashing out. The NDP, which has long been in good shape, also experienced poor results and, among other things, lost the majority it had in Quebec.

According to Radio-Canada forecasts, the NDP will only obtain seven mandates in total, compared to 54 in the current National Assembly.

One reason for the NDP’s poor performance is that it opposed the niqab ban introduced by the Harper government, which was rejected by the courts. Such a ban has the support of 80 percent of Canadians.

International cooperation

The Liberal victory portends a more multilateral approach to international politics after the Harper government walked away from the UN and, among other things, withdrew from the Kyoto accord.

Trudeau has said he wants to improve relations with U.S. President Barack Obama, withdraw Canadian forces from the coalition against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and focus instead on a humanitarian approach. It will also contribute to the fight against climate change.

Justin Trudeau has an important legacy to carry on. His charismatic father Pierre, prime minister for 15 years and died in 2000, is considered by many to be the father of modern Canada.