Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to be whisked away from an Asia-Pacific summit by police bodyguards on Thursday (November 19) as hundreds of excited journalists and staff swarmed around him in a bid to take photos and say hello.
Trudeau, a charismatic young politician who won Canada’s election last month promising “sunny ways” and respect, has generated rock star-like enthusiasm this week during meetings in Turkey and Manila.
As he left a news conference at the summit in Manila, dozens of mainly young local reporters and conference staff gathered around him in a hallway.
Trudeau initially smiled and waved and shook a few hands but the crowd suddenly grew larger and he was soon surrounded by a couple of hundred people taking pictures and shouting his name.
“He held my hand!” shrieked one woman. Another woman broke away, looking close to collapse.
One APEC volunteer, Elaine Laila Blancaflour, told Reuters Trudeau was “the most handsome man” she had ever laid eyes on.
The prime minister started to look nervous and his bodyguards formed a tight group and rushed him out of the conference centre, shutting the doors behind them.
A Twitter poll with the hashtag #APEChottie, asking users to vote for the most attractive leader at the summit, has been one of the most trending in the country this week. Local media declared Trudeau the winner, although Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto was a close second.
“If it brings more attention to Canada then I am happy to use that to help to show what Canada has to offer to our partners and build better relations with others to help deal with the bigger issues of our world,” he said. (Reuters)
