The Monocle Minute

On election night in 2015, Justin Trudeau said that “sunny ways, my friends, sunny ways,” lay ahead for the country that had just voted in his party by a landslide. “This,” he said, “is what positive politics can do.” In the beginning, Trudeau’s personable approach to leadership was undeniably refreshing; it indeed felt as though the curtains had been thrown back to let the daylight in. Yesterday, however, Trudeau addressed the nation to shutter his almost decade-long premiership.

His vows to boost immigration, diversify and grow the national economy and reassert Canada’s role in the world fuelled an upswing in both the national mood and how others viewed the country from afar. Trudeau’s obvious enjoyment of the spotlight was put to use in a variety of ways. Movingly, he greeted the first Canadian government plane carrying Syrian refugees as they arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport and, comically, posed while cuddling a pair of pandas at the country’s national zoo. Brand Canada looked good. But, in politics, relying on imagery is perilous, particularly when a government’s perception is so tightly intertwined with its leader’s. When convoys of long-haul truckers blockaded Ottawa in 2022 to demonstrate against Canada’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates, it was Trudeau’s name, more than the policy itself, that fuelled their ire.

Frustratingly, the debate over Trudeau’s future as prime minister has clouded a slew of profound issues currently at play in the country – inflation, a squeeze on housing and a deeply troubling investigation into widespread foreign meddling, as well as an incoming, tariff-happy US administration. The ascent of right-wing populist politics is propelling the nation into uncharted territory. Whoever enters the prime minister’s office next must work to ensure that Canada’s gaze doesn’t turn inward – and find a way to let the sunlight back in.

Tomos Lewis is Monocle’s Toronto correspondent. For more insight, opinion and analysis, subscribe to Monocle today.

Damascus International Airport reopens for commercial flights today – a major step towards resetting the country’s foreign relations and getting its economy off the ground. Turkey and Qatar, the new Syrian government’s strongest backers, have both announced the resumption of their national carriers’ flights to Damascus, with Qatar Airways operating three services a week to the capital after a 13-year hiatus. In the meantime, foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani is on a tour of the Middle East to drum up support for lifting US sanctions on Syria.

Repairing Syria’s economy is a priority for its new rulers: economic output has declined by 60 per cent since 2011 and urban infrastructure has been decimated. Much of the reconstruction work will land with Ankara and Doha, whose construction sectors will probably win huge contracts. Turkey’s energy ministry even announced that it is ready to provide electricity to all of Syria.

But the regime must shed its problematic image if it wants to entice investors from beyond the Middle East. Until the US lifts its sanctions, Western airlines are unlikely to land and investment will not come. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the rebel leader formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has undergone a radical rebrand, donning a suit and tie in place of his old fatigues and turban. But his past as an Islamist militant remains a concern at home and abroad. While this administration is keen to show that it’s ready for business, hopes that reopening an airport will bring prosperity are a flight of fancy. Luring new allies will require much more.

What’s the first thing that greets drivers visiting New York? Often it’s the slow progress across the bridges of the city’s East River. In a bid to stem this daily tide, motorists entering the busiest areas of Manhattan will now have to pay a congestion charge of up to $9 (€8.60). The initiative is the first of its kind in the US and promises to generate $15bn (€14.4bn) for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which will help to finance improvements to the city’s century-old Subway tunnels and tracks.

Many of the world’s busiest metropolises, including London and Singapore, have long relied on tolls to reduce traffic and improve air quality. Despite these measures, London remains Europe’s most congested city according to a recent study by transport analytics company Inrix. In New York the charge is a divisive issue, vocal critics include the unlikely duo of president-elect Donald Trump and the United Federation of Teachers.

For our annual edition of The Forecast, we asked some of the leading voices in publishing for their takes on what 2025 has in store.

The editor: Michael Reynolds, Europa Editions, New York, USA
“In many ways it’s a good time for the small, nimble, mid-sized publisher because larger companies have shareholders and tend to play it safe. Many better, more interesting books feel too risky for them. As a smaller publishing house, we can take a chance on less predictable books.”

Reynolds’s title to look out for in 2025:
Gabriële, Anne and Claire Berest

The audiobook expert: Carlo Carrenho, Carrenho Publishing Consulting, Trosa, Sweden
“We’re getting to a point where books are being voiced by AI-generated actors and writers are being influenced by the audio format, which is changing the way books are being written. Would Gabriel García Márquez have written One Hundred Years of Solitude today? That story would not do well as an audiobook.”

Carrenho’s audiobook to look out for in 2025:
The Intruder, Freida McFadden

The agent: Juliet Mushens, Mushens Entertainment, London, UK
“Fantasy has seen big growth over the past couple of years and I think that will continue. Many publishers who have never bought fantasy before are starting to acquire it for their lists.”

Mushens’s title to look out for in 2025:
Bitter Sweet, Hattie Williams

Looking for some intrepid inspiration for the year ahead? Take a leaf out of Monocle’s travel annual, The Escapist, and come along for a tour of the world’s best spots for travel and hospitality. We take to Greece and the mountains of Zagorohoria, head east along Thailand’s Sukhumvit Road for sandy islands and fresh seafood, and meet the chefs, hoteliers and artisans setting Galicia abuzz. Make 2025 your year of escape.