Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday (January 6, 2025) announced his decision to step down as Liberal leader but he will stay on in his post until the party has chosen a replacement.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa following a protracted political crisis that saw top Liberal allies urge him to quit.
Mr. Trudeau came to power in 2015 after 10 years of Conservative Party rule, and had initially been hailed for returning the country to its liberal past. But the 53-year-old scion of one of Canada’s most famous prime ministers became deeply unpopular with voters in recent years over a range of issues, including the soaring cost of food and housing, and surging immigration.
The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Canada internationally. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if the government does not stem what Trump calls a flow of migrants and drugs in the U.S. — even though far fewer of each crosses into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico, which Trump has also threatened.
Canada is a major exporter of oil and natural gas to the U.S., which also relies on its northern neighbor for steel, aluminum and autos.
Trudeau has kept publicly mum in recent weeks, despite intensifying pressure for him to step down.
“His long silence following this political drama speaks volumes about the weakness of his current position,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
(With inputs from agencies)
Published – January 06, 2025 09:37 pm IST
