Facing mounting pressure from within his party, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his decision to step down, ending his nine-year tenure as leader.
Trudeau shared that he would remain in office until the Liberal Party elects a new leader, and that parliament will be suspended—until March 24.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said during a press conference on Monday.
READ ALSO: Concerns over Trump tariffs for U.S. tech industry
Trudeau’s decreasing popularity among Canadians had become a growing burden on his party’s prospects ahead of federal elections scheduled later this year.
“Last night, over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I’m sharing with you today,” he told the news conference in Ottawa.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process,” he said.
The president of the Liberal Party, Sachit Mehra, stated that a meeting of the party’s board of directors would be convened this week to initiate the process of selecting a new leader.
In a statement, he added: “Liberals across the country are immensely grateful to Justin Trudeau for more than a decade of leadership to our Party and the country.”
“As Prime Minister, his vision delivered transformational progress for Canadians,” he said, highlighting initiatives such as the Canada Child Benefit and the establishment of dental care and pharmacare coverage for certain medications.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre remarked that “nothing has changed” following Trudeau’s resignation.
“Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported EVERYTHING Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin,” Poilievre wrote on X.
At 53, Trudeau faced escalating calls from within his own Liberal Party to step down, a pressure that intensified in December after the sudden resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and long-time ally Chrystia Freeland.
In her resignation letter, Freeland pointed to US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats on Canadian goods and accused Trudeau of failing to adequately address the “grave challenge” posed by Trump’s proposals.
Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports—something economists warn could heavily damage Canada’s economy—unless the country takes steps to tighten security on its shared border.
Trudeau said Monday that he had hoped Freeland would continue as deputy prime minister, “but she chose otherwise.”
Canada has since announced plans to introduce sweeping new security measures along its border with the US in response to the threat.
Trump, in an online post, claimed that pressure over tariffs prompted Trudeau’s resignation and reiterated his suggestion that Canada should become “the 51st State.”
“If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them,” he wrote.
Since 2019, the Liberal Party has governed with a minority, which became evident following Freeland’s resignation as Trudeau lost the support of previous allies—the left-leaning New Democrats and the Quebec nationalist Bloc Quebecois.
The largest opposition party, the Conservatives, has maintained a consistent two-digit lead over the Liberals in polls for months, suggesting that if an election were held today, the Liberals could face a significant loss.
Liberals will now elect a new leader to lead them into the next election, which must take place by October 20.
A senior government official informed the BBC that the leadership race would be an open contest, with the Prime Minister’s Office remaining entirely hands-off, leaving the decision to the members of the Liberal Party.
Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet suggested that once the Liberals select a new leader, an early election should be called.
End of the Trudeau Era
Trudeau is the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who played a dominant role in the country’s politics in the 1970s and 1980s.
The younger Trudeau became prime minister after the Liberal Party’s overwhelming victory in 2015, promising to usher in a new progressive era of “Sunny Ways.”
His legacy includes promoting gender equality in his cabinet, which remains 50% women; advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada; instituting a national carbon tax; introducing a tax-free child benefit for families; and legalizing recreational cannabis.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak praised Trudeau’s achievements on Indigenous issues following his resignation, stating that he “has taken meaningful steps to address issues that matter to First Nations.”
“While much work remains, these actions have laid a foundation for future governments to build upon.”
However, Trudeau’s government faced growing challenges in recent years, plagued by a series of scandals, including a corruption controversy involving a Canadian company and the emergence of photos showing the prime minister in brownface makeup.
His administration also faced significant backlash over vaccine mandates and restrictions, culminating in the Freedom Convoy truck protests in early 2022. Trudeau eventually invoked emergency powers to disperse the protests.
As Canada began to recover from the pandemic, housing and food prices soared, and his government revised its ambitious immigration goals as public services began to feel the strain.
By late 2024, Trudeau’s approval rating had plummeted to a mere 22%, according to one polling tracker.
In Ottawa, a small group of protestors gathered outside Parliament Hill, celebrating his resignation.
One passerby, however, expressed that he felt things were stable under Trudeau’s leadership.
“I’m a carpenter,” Hames Gamarra, from British Columbia, told the BBC. “I mind my own business, I get my wages, I pay the bills. It’s been OK.”
Another Canadian, Marise Cassivi, reflected that it felt like the end of an era. Asked if she felt any sadness, she responded: “No.”
“It’s the right thing.”
BBC
