Canada PM Trudeau likely to resign as pressure from within party grows

Canadian PM Trudeau is likely to announce his resignation after nine years as Liberal leader.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is increasingly likely to announce his resignation, though he has not made a final decision, according to a source familiar with his thinking.

The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday that Trudeau may announce his intention to step down as leader of the Liberal Party as early as Monday, after serving for nine years.

The source, who requested anonymity, spoke to Reuters after the report, indicating that Trudeau’s resignation could happen before an emergency meeting of Liberal legislators scheduled for Wednesday.

There has been mounting pressure from Liberal parliamentarians, alarmed by poor polling, to urge Trudeau to step down.

The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trudeau’s publicly available schedule for Monday lists his participation in a virtual cabinet committee meeting on Canada-U.S. relations.

It remains unclear whether he would leave office immediately or stay as prime minister until a new leader is chosen.

If Trudeau resigns, it would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader at a time when polls suggest the party is poised to lose to the Conservative Party in the upcoming federal election, which must occur by late October.

His departure could prompt calls for a quick election to ensure a stable government to manage relations with the incoming U.S. administration under President-elect Donald Trump.

Trudeau became the leader of the Liberal Party in 2013, guiding it out of third place in the House of Commons and to power in 2015 with a progressive agenda focused on issues like gender equality and climate change.

However, the pressures of governing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and public frustration over issues like inflation and housing have contributed to his decline in popularity.

Trudeau faced criticism in December when he attempted to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who subsequently resigned, accusing him of prioritizing political maneuvering over the nation’s interests.

If Trudeau does resign, sources suggest Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc could be considered to serve as interim leader, though his potential candidacy for the permanent leadership would complicate this.

As of now, Trudeau, 53, has not publicly announced his decision but is under increasing pressure to step aside, especially as the Liberals face a challenging electoral landscape.