Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Prime Minister of Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as Liberal Party leader and head of government. The 53-year-old said at a short-term press conference in the capital Ottawa that he only wanted to remain in office until the successor was clarified. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election and I have realized that I cannot be the best alternative in this election if I have to fight internal battles,” he said.

Trudeau has been head of the Liberal Party for around eleven years and has been Prime Minister since the end of 2015. Initially, Trudeau had promised “positive politics” and “sunny paths” and was hailed by many as a beacon of hope. Recently, however, criticism of Trudeau had increased significantly. Among other things, many people accuse him of not fulfilling his many promises, that prices have risen too much and that there is too little housing in the country.

The pressure on the prime minister has recently become more and more intense: his poll numbers have plummeted and calls for his resignation have become louder – even from within his own ranks.

The New Democratic Party, with which the Liberals had previously worked, had already withdrawn its confidence and threatened a vote of no confidence. Most recently, Trudeau’s deputy and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland also resigned.

Freeland, who is said to have claims to lead the Liberals, left the government after criticizing Trudeau. “Over the past few weeks, we have disagreed about Canada’s best path forward,” she said in her resignation letter. Trudeau then announces a cabinet reshuffle.

The next election in Canada is normally scheduled for autumn, but a vote of no confidence could also force an early election. In polls, things are currently looking good for the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre. As things stand, she could get around 40 percent of the vote, while Trudeau’s Liberals would only get around 20 percent.

Poilievre, who often acts in a populist manner, has announced, among other things, that he wants to have more houses built if he wins the election.

Historically, the Liberals, who range between center and center-left, have dominated politics in Canada since the 20th century. They provided most of the prime ministers and had a significant influence on the comparatively progressive politics of the North American country. Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of area, has around 40 million inhabitants and is a member of NATO and the G7.