Justin Trudeau is a controversial figure.

ALSO READ: Canada Should Just Close Its Border With The U.S.

TL;DR LinkedIn has ranked Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau the fifth most influencial person and number one most influential politician in the world. A link to the complete ranking is at the bottom of this article.

Despite his popularity abroad, particularly in the United States, where the Canadian prime minister shines as a hopeful alternative to the country's current regressive regime, he continues to provoke some pretty strong reactions at home.

Conservatives detest what they perceive as his threat to the Canadian manufacturing and oil industries. Progressives decry his proclivity for political stunts and soaring rhetoric despite rather weak leadership on some core promises.

But whatever Canadians' feelings for the prime minister, Trudeau is, perhaps unfortunately, not only the country's only viable option for the office for the foreseeable future, but also the world's last hope. Around the globe, once-stable republics appear to be regressing towards autocracy while Canada remains a bastion of democratic values.

Those optics may be one reason why LinkedIn has just ranked Trudeau the fifth most influencial person in the world and the number one most influential politician.

In its annual list of Top Voice: Influencers, LinkedIn evaluates the people whose policies, agendas, and words have carried the most impact and sparked the most conversation on its site.

Trudeau stands out in the top twenty as the only serving politician. CEOs, editors-in-chief, and non-profit boardmembers occupy the remaining nineteen spots.

embedded via

LinkedIn specifically points to the prime minister's concern for "issues impacting Canadians as well as the wider world, whether it’s supporting the Gender Equality Advisory Council or responding to new U.S. tariffs."

This new ranking will likely spark debate among Canadians. Read the entire list from LinkedIn here.

Stay tuned for more Trudeau news.