Trudeau announces resignation as Prime Minister of Canada

"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process," he stated.

According to him, yesterday he requested that this process begin.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau added.

The prime minister also mentioned that he asked Governor General Mary Simon to suspend parliament until March 24, and she granted the request.

This means that Trudeau will remain the head of the Canadian government for at least a few more months. The Liberals will continue searching for a new candidate who can challenge the key opponent – Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre – in the upcoming federal election.

When asked why he didn't call for early elections, Trudeau responded that the reset would consist of two parts. The first is a suspension of Parliament, and the second is his resignation as leader of the Liberals, which is meant to reduce the level of polarization in the House of Commons and Canadian politics.

Why Trudeau announced his resignation

Justin Trudeau has led the government since 2015. However, his popularity sharply declined due to record inflation, rising food prices, an acute housing crisis, and voter fatigue. Recent polls showed that the ruling Liberal Party has a rating of 16%, the worst result in over 100 years. In contrast, the opposition Conservatives have surged to first place in electoral support.

It was previously reported that on Monday, January 6, Trudeau would announce his intention to resign. This was reported by the Toronto Star, citing a high-ranking source.

According to Globe and Mail, he will step down as the leader of the Liberal Party, a position he has held for nearly 10 years. The newspaper, citing sources, also noted that since Trudeau will make a statement to an extraordinary session of his party members on Wednesday, "it doesn't look like he was forced out by his own MPs."

Until the last moment, it was unclear whether he would remain in office as prime minister until the Liberals chose a new leader. The Guardian wrote that it was unlikely he would step down, as organizing the leadership race typically takes months.

Today, Trudeau confirmed that he would remain prime minister of Canada until a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen. Given the length of the process, it is clearly expected to take months.

Calls for Trudeau's resignation intensified in December after he attempted to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland due to her criticism of his proposals to increase spending. Instead, Freeland left the cabinet and accused the Prime Minister of "political maneuvering."

On December 23, dozens of Liberal MPs agreed that in this situation, Trudeau should resign. They represent Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, which is also the party's electoral base. This indicates that the core of the Liberals has turned against Trudeau.

Many Canadian observers expect the elections to be scheduled for the spring. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for immediate elections, arguing that "the government of Canada is losing control on its own."

In 2025, Canada began its presidency in the G7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that Canada's leadership will help achieve a just peace with the Russian Federation.

During the full-scale war, Justin Trudeau has proven to be one of Ukraine's most supportive friends in the West. In a recent conversation, Zelenskyy suggested increasing funding for the production of Ukrainian weapons.