On December 10th, 2008, Michael Ignatieff became the interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He replaced former leader Stéphane Dion to become the official leader of the opposition when Bob Rae withdrew from the race. Ignatieff takes over the Liberal leadership role amidst political disarray and a poor performance in the recent federal election. He also heads a party whose popularity has been slipping as of late, according to a recently published poll. Ignatieff currently represents the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

Michael Ignatieff was born on May 12th, 1947 in Toronto, Ontario to Canadian diplomat George Ignatieff and his wife Alison Grant. His grandfather, Count Pavel Ignatiev, was Minister of Education to Tsar Nicholas II. After graduating from high school, Ignatieff studied at the University of Toronto where he met Bob Rae, future Premier of Ontario. He then proceeded to study at the University of Oxford in England, influenced by the well-known historian and philosopher Isaiah Berlin. Ignatieff completed his studies by earning his PhD in History at Harvard University.

Ignatieff’s roots with the Liberal Party began at the age of 18, where he volunteered to canvas for the York South riding. Three years later, he worked for the Liberal Party as a national youth organizer and party delegate for the Trudeau campaign His loyalty to the party has continued ever since.

Ignatieff’s involvement in Canadian politics began just recently, when he became a Member of Parliament in 2006. In the same year, he ran for the Liberal Party leadership race but lost in an upset to Dion in which he placed second. After 3 years as a Member of Parliament, Ignatieff ran again for the Liberal leadership position in an attempt to replace Dion after the 2008 election. When announcing his leadership intentions, Ignatieff explained he was more experienced, listened better and was better known.

Aside from his involvement in politics, Ignatieff is an internationally renowned scholar, author and leading figure in the fields of human rights, democracy and international affairs. He has written 16 books, some of which have been fiction, and has contributed frequently to newspapers such as the Globe and Mail and the New York Times.

Throughout his career, Ignatieff has been the recipient of many awards and recognition. In 2002, Maclean’s Magazine named him one of the “50 Most Influential Canadians Shaping Society” and in 2003 Canada’s “Sexiest Cerebral Man.” His text Virtual War won the Orwell Prize for political non-fiction in 2000 and many of his other texts have been internationally acclaimed. In 2007 he was named Parliamentarian of the Year.

Though Ignatieff has successfully achieved the position he has sought for many years, he will face many challenges in the near future. His transition into the position of Liberal party leader at this particular moment in time will be shaped by his ability, or lack thereof, to unite the party under his new leadership and present a viable alternative to Harper and the Conservatives. He will also have to decide whether to continue his party’s support for the Liberal-NDP coalition which has remained a controversial issue in Canada.

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Tags: biography, coalition, liberal, michael ignatieff

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