By LeSiteinfo with MAP
Contested within his own party, lagging behind in the polls, and abandoned by his left-wing ally in parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ended up throwing in the towel and announcing his resignation as leader of the Party. Liberal of Canada (PLC).
“I intend to resign as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and as Prime Minister once the party has chosen its next leader following a rigorous and competitive national process,” Trudeau said. during a press briefing Monday in Ottawa.
In power since 2015, Trudeau noted that he met with Governor General Mary Simon who agreed to extend the current parliamentary session until March 24.
Dropped by his own party
The liberal leader’s announcement comes two days before a decisive meeting of the PLC and at a time when the list of deputies from his own party demanding his resignation continues to grow.
In recent months and with the next federal election approaching, scheduled for October 20 at the latest, Trudeau has become the target of criticism from several Liberal MPs who have called for his resignation.
“The country deserves a clear and real choice in the next elections. It became clear to me that if I have to focus on internal battles, I cannot be the best option in these elections,” Trudeau said.
The surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, in mid-December amid disagreements with Trudeau increased pressure on the Liberal leader and plunged the country into political uncertainty.
The resounding departure of Freeland pushed Trudeau to carry out a vast cabinet reshuffle which seems not to have succeeded in alleviating the discontent within the PLC.
Very recently, the Atlantic Liberal caucus in turn called for Trudeau’s resignation as party leader.
A government weakened more than ever
Trudeau’s minority government counted on the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP), his left-wing ally in parliament, to stay in power.
“Justin Trudeau has proven time and time again that he always gives in to pressure from CEOs. He let people down. He doesn’t deserve another chance,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in announcing his party’s withdrawal of support for the LPC.
Just recently, it appeared that the Trudeau government’s days were numbered after the NDP outlined its intention to bring forward a motion of no confidence to oust the cabinet.
With the prorogation of parliament until March 24, Trudeau managed to buy time for his party to hold elections to choose a new leader.
Trudeau’s successor will then take his place as Prime Minister and will have to lead the party in the next elections, which should probably be held in the spring.
Lagging behind in the polls
Trudeau, whose popularity continues to plummet in the polls, finds himself in a bad position facing the growing popularity of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
According to a recent poll, the Conservative Party of Canada (opposition) is well ahead of the Liberal Party in voting intentions.
A snap election could be called if the NDP decides to support the efforts of the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois to overthrow the government.
Following Trudeau’s announcement, Liberal Party of Canada President Sachit Mehra announced he will convene a meeting of the National Council this week to launch the pan-Canadian democratic process of selecting a new party leader.
In Canada, speculation is rife about the list of potential successors to Trudeau at the head of the Liberal Party.
According to local media, three names stand out and seem to benefit from the support of several Liberal MPs, namely Chrystia Freeland, former Governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney and Christy Clark, former premier of British Columbia.
Other names cannot be ruled out, according to several analysts, including the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Anita Anand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, or even the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. ‘Industry, François-Philippe Champagne.
Observers emphasize that the next leader of the PLC will have his work cut out for him, with the organization of the party’s electoral campaign, the discontent of a large segment of the Canadian population and above all the attitude to adopt to face the threats of Donald Trump to impose customs duties of 25% on products from Canada.
