Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation amid increasing pressure from the nation’s lawmakers for him to step down, according to reports.
Trudeau is expected to announce as early as Monday that he would quit as leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party after nine years in office, sources first told the Globe and Mail. A source close to Trudeau told Reuters on Sunday the prime minister was likely to announce plans to step down, but had not made a final decision.
Sources told the Globe and Mail that, while it is not clear exactly when Trudeau would announce his plans to leave, it’s anticipated to happen before an emergency meeting of Liberal legislators on Wednesday.
If Trudeau were to resign, his departure would come amid mounting pressure for him to step aside before an upcoming election that his Liberal party is forecasted to lose badly. The leader also has a complicated, oft-adversarial relationship with Donald Trump, who is set to be sworn in this month as the next U.S. president.
How long has Trudeau been Canada’s prime minister?
Trudeau, 53, has been leader of Canada’s Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister of the country for nine.
When he took over as Liberal leader in 2013, the party had been reduced to third place in the House of Commons for the first time, Reuters reported. Trudeau propelled the Liberals to power in 2015 promising “sunny ways” and a progressive agenda focused on women’s rights and fighting climate change.
Trudeau under pressure to resign amid Trump reelection
Calls for Trudeau to step aside have grown since December amid a series of polls showing his Liberal Party being trounced in the next election due to voter anger over high prices and a housing crisis, Reuters reported.
Trudeau has also faced a series of mounting crises, including the abrupt resignation of Canada’s finance minister Chrystia Freeland and Trump’s threat of imposing crippling tariffs when he takes office.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp said more than 50 Liberal members of parliament from Ontario − the most populous of the 10 provinces and the party’s main stronghold − held a call Dec. 21 and agreed Trudeau had to step down.
Trudeau has attempted damage control, even jetting out to West Palm Beach, Florida in late-November for a meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate days after the president-elect vowed to enact a 25% tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.
Trudeau has often been at odds with Trump, who has mocked Trudeau as “governor” of Canada while repeatedly joking that the nation should become the 51st U.S. state.
Canadian election to take place by October
Trudeau’s exit would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader before the general election, which must be held on or before Oct. 20.
If he does resign, it would likely spur fresh calls for the election to be moved up so that a stable government can be put in place quickly to deal with the Trump administration for the next four years.
It remains unclear whether Trudeau will leave immediately or stay on as prime minister until a new Liberal leader is selected, the Globe and Mail report added.
Contributing: Josh Meyer, USA TODAY; Reuters
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
