Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he intends to resign As leader of the Liberal PartyAmid mounting internal opposition.

Announcement on monday It follows a wave of speculation about his political future following public disagreements with his former allies, a no-confidence motion called for later in January and falling poll numbers.

“Every morning I wake up as Prime Minister, inspired by the resilience, generosity and determination of Canadians,” Trudeau said in remarks from his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.

In his announcement Intention to step down As party leader, he pointed to the uphill battle the Liberals face as they head into the federal election season. He explained that he would step down as soon as a replacement was found.

“This country deserves a real choice in the upcoming elections, and it has become clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best choice in those elections.”

Trudeau announced his plan to the Liberal Party’s national caucus on Wednesday.

Here’s what you need to know about Trudeau’s resignation, what led up to it, and what it means for Canada.

Who is Trudeau?

Trudeau, 53, came to power in 2015 and led the Liberals to two more victories at the ballot box in 2019 and 2021.

Justin Trudeau, the charismatic eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who died in 2000, came to politics after working as a figure skating coach, bartender, bouncer and teacher.

He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 to represent a working-class Montreal neighbourhood.

He reformed the Senate with the goal of making it less political and more transparent by ending partisan appointments and creating an independent, merit-based selection process.

He also signed a new trade deal with the United States and imposed a carbon tax to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions during his first two terms as Prime Minister.

The father-of-three also legalized cannabis, held a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, and passed legislation allowing medically assisted suicide.

In his remarks Monday, Trudeau spoke about some of his accomplishments while in office.

He said: “We were elected in 2015 to fight for the middle class, and this is exactly what we have done over the past years.” “We lowered taxes, increased benefits for families, and made sure the economy focused on working for everyone and not just a few.”

How did we get here?

Trudeau’s popularity has declined in recent months, as his government narrowly survived a series of no-confidence votes and his critics called for his resignation.

He had pledged to remain in office to guide the liberals to the elections, but he faced more pressure from incoming US President Donald Trump, who threatened to form a government. 25 percent tariff On Canadian goods.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland Trudeau resigned in December after disagreeing with Trudeau over how to respond to Trump’s apparent plan, in the first open opposition against the prime minister within his own government.

In a post on X, Freeland said she was leaving after Trudeau asked her to step down as finance minister. She cited disagreements with the prime minister, including how to handle Trump’s threat of tariffs and “America First” economic nationalism.

Since then, a growing number of Liberal parliamentarians, alarmed by a series of bleak opinion polls, have publicly urged Trudeau to resign.

After Trudeau responded to those calls on Monday, many, including Freeland, applauded his decision.

“I thank Justin Trudeau for his years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family the best.” books On social media.

What will happen next?

Trudeau has requested that Canada’s Parliament face a period of adjournment, with its sittings temporarily suspended until March 24. Governor General Marie Simon approved the request.

As for the Liberals, Trudeau’s departure is set to launch a competition to name his successor as party leader.

This race comes at a pivotal time for the party, as it faces federal elections scheduled to be held before October 20. Opinion polls suggest that the Liberal Party, under Trudeau’s leadership, would have lost badly to the rival Conservatives if the election had been held. Imminently.

“I intend to resign from my position as party leader, as prime minister, after the party chooses its next leader through a vigorous, competitive, nationwide process,” Trudeau said.

Now that Trudeau has announced his intention to step down, the Liberals will need to create a special leadership conference to choose their next president.

The challenge for the party is that these conferences usually take months to arrange and if an election is held before then, the Liberals will be in the hands of a prime minister not chosen by the members.

This has never happened in Canada. Liberals may try to run a shorter-than-usual convention, but this could spark protests from candidates who feel they are at a disadvantage.

Who are some potential candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party?

Here are some politicians widely touted as potential contenders for the top job in the Liberal Party.

• Mark Carney: An economist and banker who served as former governor of the Bank of Canada, advising the Liberal government on economic matters.
• François-Philippe Champagne: Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry since 2021, and before that he was Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Chrystia Freeland: She is the Member of Parliament for Rosedale University, Ontario, and former Deputy Prime Minister. She was once a close adviser to Trudeau, and her departure from his government was seen as a reckoning on his leadership. She is seen as a reliable and stable alternative to Trudeau, and in opinion polls, was the best among Liberal politicians before the election.
• Melanie Jolie: Jolie, the current foreign minister, has been prominent on the international scene and will be tasked with dealing with issues related to Trump when he takes office. She has been a staunch supporter of Trudeau.
• Dominique LeBlanc: Considered a close ally of Trudeau, he was appointed Finance Minister after Freeland’s departure.

How does Trump figure in all this?

President-elect of the United States It threatened to impose comprehensive tariffs on its three largest trading partners – Canada, Mexico and China – as soon as he takes office on January 20.

“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and authority to easily resolve this long-standing problem,” Trump said in a November post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“We hereby demand that they use this power, and until they do, it is time for them to pay a very heavy price!”

Trudeau traveled to Florida in November to meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in an attempt to avoid a trade war.

But the US president-elect has since directed insulting attacks at Trudeau on social media, repeatedly calling him the “governor” of Canada and declaring that the US’s northern neighbor becoming the 51st US state is a “great idea.”

Several Trump allies, including billionaire businessman Elon Musk, also attacked Trudeau from their platforms.

For example, Musk greeted the news that Trudeau would step down from his position by presidential decree mail On his social media platform X: “2025 looks good.”

Likewise, Trump celebrated the announcement with a social media post of his own, in which he reiterated his call for Canada to become the United States’ “51st state.”

“If Canada merged with the United States, there would be no tariffs, taxes would be dramatically reduced, and they would be completely safe from the threat of Russian and Chinese ships that constantly surround them,” Trump said. books. “Together, what a great nation we will be!!!”

Who is Pierre Poilievre?

He’s the man widely expected to become prime minister after the next Canadian election.

In recent days, Trudeau trailed the Conservative leader by 20 points in public opinion polls.

Poilievre isn’t known for pulling his punches. He called Montreal Mayor Valéry Plante “incompetent”, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh a “traitor”, and Trudeau “weak” and “a fool”.

The latest insult got him temporarily expelled from the House of Commons for “unparliamentary language” in April. Debates in the Canadian Parliament are usually sober but have become more tense and lively recently.

Like Trump, Poilievre is also a fan of catchy phrases to sum up his political messages.

He has called for the “repeal of the tax,” in reference to the federal carbon tax, and coined the term “proper inflation” — a portmanteau of the Prime Minister’s name and the word “inflation.”

Like Trump, he also likes to describe himself as a victim of abuse by elites and the mainstream media.

He also has low support among women, another similarity to Trump.

In 2022, when he battled for the leadership of the country’s main opposition Conservative Party, the career politician with 20 years’ experience was seen as an outsider, but he attracted large crowds at his rallies.

Born in Calgary, Poilievre grew up in an adoptive family. He developed a passion for politics at an early age and won an award during his university studies for an essay on what he would do if he became Prime Minister.

With polls showing he is likely to win the next election, he has promised to put “Canada First!” – It is a slogan closer to Trump’s slogan, “America First!”

Poilievre revisited that slogan Monday in a social media post video Celebrating Trudeau’s decision to step down.

“Canada first, Canada last, Canada always,” he said, calling on voters to rally alongside him. “Let’s get him home.”