In recent months, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been asked a variation of the same question: “Are you planning to resign?”
But despite vowing to remain Liberal leader despite deepening voter dissatisfaction and a surge in political rivals in opinion polls, even self-proclaimed “warriors” are increasingly calling out party members. I couldn’t stand it. resign.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and if I have to fight a domestic battle, it’s clear that I’m not going to be the best choice in that election,” Trudeau said Monday. He announced his resignation on Monday. In front of Rideau Cottage, where he has spent most of the past 10 years as his official residence.
He will remain prime minister until a new Liberal leader is elected, a date the party has not yet set.
Prime Minister Trudeau called for Parliament to be adjourned, or adjourned, until March 24 to give the party time to find a new leader.
Prime Minister Trudeau came to power nearly a decade ago, attracting attention as the new face of progressive politics.
In 2015, voters swayed by his youthful charisma and hopeful political message propelled the Liberal Party from being the third party to winning a majority of seats in parliament. This is unprecedented in Canadian political history.
He is now the only remaining leader of his original predecessors, from Barack Obama to Angela Merkel to Shinzo Abe to David Cameron, and at 53 years old is the longest-serving leader in the G7. Be a leader.
But in the years since Trudeau burst onto the world stage, and over two general elections, Trudeau and his brand have been a drag on the party’s fortunes.
Paul Wells, Canadian political journalist and author of Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, recently told the BBC that Trudeau has shown real leadership, particularly on issues such as Indigenous reconciliation. , said he believed he would be remembered to some extent as a prime minister who “got results.” , climate policy.
However, he is also a man who “feels increasingly out of touch with public opinion and becomes increasingly unable to adapt to the changing times.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday touted his accomplishments during his time in office, including navigating the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, renegotiating a free trade agreement with the former Trump administration and implementing child benefits widely seen as helping alleviate poverty. He was quick to advertise that he was proud of the.
But early on, a series of ethics scandals began to tarnish the new government’s luster. He was found to have violated federal conflict of interest rules in his handling of corruption investigations (SNC and Lavalin) and in his luxury trip to the Bahamas. .
In 2020, he came under scrutiny for choosing a charity with family ties to run a major government program.
His party was reduced to a minority in the 2019 general election, and the Liberals had to rely on support from other parties to stay in power.
Their fortunes did not improve even in the 2021 snap general election.
More recently, Trudeau faced headwinds from rising costs of living and inflation, which contributed to election chaos around the world.
Mr. Wells also said there was growing dissatisfaction at home with what appeared to be a struggle to deliver on big promises that were “overpacked and overpacked,” and with his handling of issues such as immigration. was.
Late last year, the Liberal Party withdrew ambitious immigration targets and sharply reduced the number of new immigrants allowed into Canada over concerns that the issue was being mismanaged.
He also sometimes awarded easy political victories to his opponents, such as when it came to light that he wore black and brown face coverings before taking office.
With more than nine years in power, he is one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers, and there is a general sense of fatigue and dissatisfaction in his government.
So the writing was on the wall.
A series of political blowbacks have made it clear that Prime Minister Trudeau’s days are numbered.
Over the summer, voters rejected Liberal candidates in once-safe Liberal seats in several special elections, leading to the beginning of unrest within the party.
He has become an increasingly polarizing figure for voters, with Prime Minister Trudeau on Monday saying it was “time for a reset” and “temperatures to drop” in Canadian politics.
Andrew Perez, principal at Perez Strategies, said the challenge now for the Liberals will be to distance themselves from Trudeau’s brand.
“That was a major aspect of their success, but it worked until it didn’t,” a Liberal strategist told the BBC.
Opinion polls for the Liberal Party have reached new levels in recent weeks, and attempts to change course through cabinet reshuffles and tax cuts have failed.
A survey carried out over the holidays by the Angus Reid Institute, which goes back to 2014, suggested support for the party was at its lowest level.
Opinion polls suggest the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poièvre, a 45-year-old career politician with a knack for sharp campaign catchphrases, would easily win if elections were held today.
The next election must be held by October, but Poilievre and New Democratic Party of Canada leader Jagmeet Singh said they would work to get Canadians to the polls as soon as Parliament reconvenes in March. .
The political instability comes as the country faces a number of challenges, particularly a pledge by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Still, Prime Minister Trudeau appeared determined to hold out until the end, citing his desire to face Poièvre, his ideological opponent in the polls.
However, in mid-December, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Prime Minister Trudeau’s key deputy minister, abruptly resigned, citing the perception that she did not take President Trump’s threats seriously. It was a tailwind.
Members of his own party began to make it clear publicly that they no longer supported his leadership.
And then the last domino fell.
