Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he will step down in the coming months, bowing to angry voters at a time of economic uncertainty and political strife.
The announcement, which came amid a closed Parliament, left Canada in political turmoil as the incoming Trump administration vowed to impose punitive tariffs on Canadian imports.
“It's time to reset,” said Mr. Trudeau told reporters outside his residence on a cold morning in Ottawa, the capital. Mr. Trudeau said he has suspended Parliament until March 24 and that he will continue to be leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister until he is elected in a party-wide election.
“I really feel that removing the controversy surrounding my continued leadership is an opportunity to lower the temperature,” he said.
Mr. Trudeau, 53, who came to power almost a decade ago and was quickly seen as a progressive icon, is the latest leader in the West to be swept away by anti-incumbency, immigration backlash and anger at the continuing effects of a spike in inflation during the coronavirus pandemic. Although inflation in Canada has dropped to less than two percent, unemployment remains high, at more than six percent.
A general election is due to be held in October, a timetable Mr Trudeau outlined on Monday.
“It has become clear to me about the internal battles that it will not be me who can carry the Liberal standard in the next election,” he said.
Mr. Trudeau has faced weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party.
In December, Mr. Trudeau's deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, abruptly resigned, issuing scathing remarks about her leadership and her handling of the country. Ms Freeland, who had been close to the prime minister, accused Mr Trudeau of engaging in “expensive political tactics” and was unprepared to face the challenge posed by Mr Trudeau.
His resignation prompted a number of voices from Liberal MPs asking him to step down for the sake of the party, and let someone else lead the party in the general election.
Mr. Trudeau has also been under pressure from a resurgent Conservative Party, which in recent polls has a double-digit lead over the Liberal Party. The Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, posted a video on social media on Monday promoting another idea of governance: “tax tax,” referring to Trudeau's unpopular carbon tax, “build homes,” “fix the budget” and “stop the carbon tax.” crime.”
The uproar comes at a time when Canada is debating how to deal with Mr. Trump to impose tariffs that will disrupt the trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico. (Mr. Trump has also threatened tariffs on Mexico and says he wants both countries to deal with the flow of drugs and undocumented immigrants into the United States).
Tariffs would be harmful to Canada's economy, which is heavily dependent on imports, particularly oil and automobiles. The United States and Canada are major trading partners.
Mr. Trudeau visited Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, in late November, and his administration has been in talks to address the president-elect's concerns about border security in the hope that he will reconsider his issues. tariff threat.
The negotiations do not seem to have been fruitful. In early December, Mr. Trump poked fun at Mr Trudeau on social media, describing the Canadian prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.”
On Monday Mr. Trump responded to Trudeau's resignation by again suggesting that Canada should become the “51st country” of the United States, saying on social media that if Canada joins the US, taxes will be lower and there will be no tariffs.
Among the people who may replace Mr. Trudeau are Mrs. Freeland, former deputy prime minister and finance minister; Dominic LeBlanc, who became finance minister when Ms Freeland resigned; Mélanie Joly, Canadian consular officer from 2021; and Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada, who also led the Bank of England.
Mr. Trudeau, whose government has been hampered by the lack of a majority in Parliament, said on Monday that the legislative body is “caught up in obstacles, and discrimination and a complete lack of productivity.”
In his remarks in French, he painted an even starker picture of a “defunct” Parliament.
The suspension of Parliament, a process known as prorogation, will give his party time to choose a new leader, Mr. A new – and perhaps more popular – leader could put the Liberals on a firm footing in the next general election.
Suspending Parliament terminates all pending legislation but does not affect the day-to-day functioning of the government.
Mr. Trudeau has spent a decade building a political name as a feminist, environmentalist, and advocate for refugees and Indigenous peoples, pursuing the same message of change and hope as Barack Obama. But analysts say Mr. Trudeau's name, which appears to be at odds with Mr. Trump, it doesn't work anymore.
“He caught a wave when he came in, and when you catch a wave, it can lift you,” said Darrell Bricker, poll analyst and chief executive officer of Ipsos Public Affairs. But on the other hand, if you don't go down, it will bring you down.
An Ipsos poll, published in late December, found the Liberals trailing the Conservatives by 25 percentage points.
Although the next election must be held in October, a vote can be called or forced earlier.
A Liberal government under a new prime minister could be short-lived. And shortly after the start of the new session, the Liberal government is likely to face a confidence vote. It may lose such a vote, as it controls few seats in Parliament and has lost the support of all other parties. That could trigger a federal election.
The prime minister also has the power to dissolve Parliament at any time, which could trigger an election.
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