Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to deliver a speech at 3:45 p.m. GMT on Monday, at a time when more and more voices are calling for him to resign, including within his own party.
Under pressure for weeks, the head of government, in power since 2015, has decided to leave his position as party leader, according to a government source at AFP. “It’s a done deal that he leaves. It is now a question of how he will exit and whether or not he will suspend Parliament to allow the party to find a new leader,” this source explained.
Mr. Trudeau, 53, could in fact leave the head of the Liberal party but remain Prime Minister to give his party time to find a replacement, who would automatically take his place as head of government. According to the Liberal Party statutes, this could take several weeks. Justin Trudeau has the power to suspend Parliament in this interval.
The Prime Minister, who had announced his intention to run again, is more than 20 points behind his conservative rival, Pierre Poilievre, in the polls. A minority in Parliament, he is weakened by the withdrawal of his left-wing ally and the growing discontent within his own party. Mr. Trudeau’s popularity has waned in recent months and his government narrowly survived a series of no-confidence motions in Parliament.
In addition, chaos has reigned in the capital Ottawa since the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who disagreed with Justin Trudeau on how to manage the looming economic war with the United States. Donald Trump’s statements in recent weeks have aggravated the Canadian political crisis and caused a shock wave. The country is seeking a solution to the threats of the president-elect, who has promised to impose 25% customs duties on Canada and Mexico upon his return to power in January.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to deliver a speech at 3:45 p.m. GMT on Monday, at a time when more and more voices are calling for him to resign, including within his own party. Under pressure for weeks, the head of government, in power since 2015, has decided to leave his position as party leader, according to a government source…
