Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did it He announced his imminent resignation As leader of the Liberal Party amid increasing pressure to step down from within the party.

From a podium outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, Trudeau added that he would also step down as prime minister. Once a new leader It is selected.

“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. “Last night I asked the leader of the Liberal Party to begin this process,” Trudeau said.

In announcing the decision, the Prime Minister referred to the upcoming federal elections, which must be held before October 20 of this year.

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

Trudeau who entered power for nine yearsHis popularity has declined in recent months, as his government narrowly survived a series of no-confidence votes and calls from critics to do so. For his resignation.

Pressure mounted on the 53-year-old Trudeau after former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December, following a disagreement over how to respond to US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods.

Days later, Trudeau announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet, changing a third of his team in an attempt to settle the political turmoil.

While a number of representatives of the ruling Liberal Party called publicly The Prime Minister is to step down After Freeland’s resignation, many continued to stand by Trudeau despite mounting pressure.

On Monday, Trudeau declined to comment on the details of Freeland’s departure and its impact on his leadership.

“Christia has been by my side for almost 10 years now. She has been a fantastic political partner through everything we have done as a government.”

“I was really hoping that you would agree to continue as deputy prime minister and take on one of the most important files facing not only this government, but this country as well. But she chose otherwise.”

Trudeau’s departure leaves the party without a permanent president at a time when opinion polls indicate that the Liberals will lose badly to the opposition Conservatives in the federal election.

Trudeau trails his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, by about 20 points in public opinion polls, amid a host of challenges facing Canada, from the housing crisis to the high cost of living.

When pressed by reporters on whether another candidate could beat Poilievre, Trudeau was firm: “Absolutely.”

He directed several criticisms at the Conservative leader, accusing him of pushing a “deviation towards the extreme right.”

“Pierre Poilievre’s vision for this country is not the right vision for Canadians,” he said.

“Stopping the fight against climate change makes no sense. Rolling back from the values ​​and strength of diversity that Canada has always held itself together is not the right path for the country.

For his part, Poilievre A video On social media they are celebrating Trudeau’s departure, calling it the end of a “dark chapter” in Canada’s history.

But he accused Trudeau’s fellow Liberals of political maneuvering ahead of the election, and said they shared equal blame for working to “break the country.”

He added: “Given that Liberal MPs and leadership contenders unanimously supported everything Trudeau did, why would we abandon him now, right before the election?” – Poilievre asked.

“Their only objection is that he is no longer popular enough to win the election and keep them in power. They wanted to protect their pensions and salaries by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before the election.

Political legacy

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

“We were elected for a third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy after the pandemic and advance Canada’s interests in a complex world, and that is exactly the job that I and I will continue to do for Canadians,” Trudeau said Monday.

Trudeau entered politics after working as a figure skating coach, bartender, bouncer and teacher, and was first elected in 2008 to the House of Commons to represent a working-class Montreal neighbourhood.

In his first two terms as prime minister, he introduced reforms in the Senate, signed a new trade deal with the United States, and imposed a carbon tax to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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

Trudeau described some of these successes in a speech Monday.

“We were elected in 2015 to fight for the middle class, and that is exactly what we have done over the past years,” Trudeau said.

“This has brought poverty rates down in Canada. This has brought more people into the workforce. This has moved us forward toward reconciliation in a way that has dramatically improved opportunities and success for Canadians, despite very difficult times in the world.” now.

But he lamented that Canadians were unable to indicate a second or third choice on their ballots, a nod to the electoral reform he had long promised.

“People were trying to look for things in common, rather than trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other,” Trudeau said, thinking about his desired electoral system.

“I think, at this time, figuring out how to collaborate and find common ground remains really important for democracies.”