"You respect our sovereignty, you're in our country." It was with this unusually firm warning that Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly addressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 12, even before he set foot in Canada for a preparatory meeting ahead of the G7 summit scheduled for mid-June. The barely courteous admonition was a reminder to the American top diplomat that Canada has no intention of being intimidated by Donald Trump's repeated threats to turn its neighbor into the 51st US state. Dressed in khaki, exuding a martial demeanor, Mélanie Joly, 46, had already assumed the stance of a war leader alongside former prime minister Justin Trudeau on March 4, when he announced Canada's response to US tariffs – a trade war she has described as an "existential threat."
Having held several cabinet positions before taking over foreign affairs, Mélanie Joly survived every Trudeau era government reshuffle over the past decade. A key member of the former PM's inner circle, she loyally stood by him when his leadership was challenged within his own party, the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC). In December 2024, the New York Times published a glowing profile, presenting her as his "likely successor." However, she ultimately chose to abandon the leadership race, instead backing Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada and later the Bank of England, who won the contest within the LPC. On March 14, he confirmed Joly in her position as foreign minister, cementing her status as a political heavyweight.
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