Trudeau resigns

Trudeau has finished his press conference in Ottawa, announcing he plans to step down as Liberal Party leader and prime minister and is suspending parliament while a replacement is elected
Photo: The New York Times

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is resigning after more than nine years leading Canada, bowing to sagging approval numbers and a rebellion within his political party, Bloomberg reports.

Trudeau, 53, currently the longest-serving leader of any Group of Seven country, announced Monday he plans to step down as head of the governing Liberal Party. He will remain as prime minister until a new leader is selected, and parliament has been suspended until March 24 while that process is underway.

The winner of the Liberal leadership contest is set to become Canada’s 24th prime minister and will have to quickly prepare for an election, which the Conservative Party is the clear favorite to win, according to public opinion polls.

Trudeau’s political future has been shaky for months, as he proved unable to reverse a slide in his party’s fortunes that accelerated after an inflation shock, and the resulting jump in interest rates, took a toll on Canadian households.

His departure makes him the latest leader of an advanced economy to lose his grip on power. US President Joe Biden was forced to drop his run for reelection, Rishi Sunak’s party suffered a humbling defeat in the UK’s general election, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appears set to lose a forthcoming vote.

Photo: VistaRadio

53-year-old Justin Trudeau has been under pressure to quit for some time amid economic malaise and political scandal, stresses ‘The Guardian’.

Why was he under pressure?

Once the rising star of global progressive politics, Trudeau saw his approval ratings drop to a new low of only 33% late last year. The same poll revealed widespread frustration with economic malaise.

Like many leaders in the west, Trudeau suffered under record inflation and high food prices. A domestic housing crisis, which saw house prices in some areas jumping by 30%-40% in recent years, has deepened resentment with the government.

Political scandals during a long tenure have not helped either. Trudeau was reprimanded in 2017 for accepting gifts including holidays and private helicopter flights. Skipping out on the country’s first national day of truth and reconciliation for a surfing vacation, and revelations that members of his family were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by a charity to which his government recently awarded a substantial contract also harmed his reputation.

Why has this happened now?

Under federal law, an election must happen by October 2025. But in recent months, members of Trudeau’s Liberal party will have been assessing whether it would be time for the leader to step aside and bring in someone new.

Late last year, nearly two dozen backbench Liberal MPs signed a letter calling for the prime minister to step down or face the possibility of a crushing defeat.

But it was not until mid-December when his stalwart deputy, Chrystia Freeland, left dramatically, criticising the prime minister publicly and questioning whether he could handle a second Donald Trump term. Days later, Liberal lawmakers from Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec said it was time for a new leader.

How is Trump involved?

The US president-elect’s “America first” economic nationalism includes a threat of 25% tariffs on Canada.

Freeland has warned that Canada, which is the US’s biggest trade partner, needed to take that threat “extremely seriously”.

Trump has mocked Trudeau by calling him a “governor”, not prime minister, of the “great state of Canada”, suggesting it is a US state and not a sovereign country.

However, Freeland’s pointed comments on Trudeau’s ability to deal with Trump may be part of a more domestic play for power. She had been tipped as a successor to run the Liberal party if Trudeau were to step down.

What happens now?

Liberal lawmakers were due to meet on Wednesday to discuss whether Trudeau’s future would be tenable. Trudeau’s announcement on Monday that he plans to step down until the party chooses a replacement was seen as preempting that meeting.

In the same speech, he announced he would suspend parliament until 24 March, which will give his party time to choose a new leader.

When will there be an election?

Federal law requires an election be held by October 2025 but with all opposition parties saying publicly they no longer have confidence in the governing Liberals, an election is likely to happen much sooner.

The Conservatives are expected to win a majority government given current polling. But that result could sway substantially depending on the new leaders the Liberals choose.

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs