Current political unrest in Canada

Trudeau resigns amid economic crisis and geopolitical threats

  Articoli (Articles)
  Lorenzo Graziani
  16 January 2025
  5 minutes, 14 seconds


Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro


On Monday, January 6th, 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally presented his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and, consequently, as Prime Minister. Trudeau, who became leader of the Liberal Party in 2013 and has served as Prime Minister since 2015, acknowledged the fragility of his political standing in the face of the profound crisis affecting his country. The 53-years-old leader cited mounting economic and political challenges as key factors in his decision to step down.

Canadians have been struggling with record inflation and a complex housing crisis for years. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s already declining popularity collapsed even further due to concerns over foreign affairs and national security. According to both the opposition and members of his own party, Trudeau was seen as incapable of responding adequately to the threats posed by newly elected U.S. president Donald Trump.

Trudeau lost control of both the country and his party when, in December, his Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, resigned. She made this decision because she, too, lacked confidence in Trudeau’s ability to lead the country in the face of Trump’s nationalist ‘America First’ economic policies and the high trade tariffs already announced by the U.S. administration.

“We must take this threat as seriously as possible,” Freeland declared. It seems that Trudeau’s attempt to ease tensions by visiting Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in late November was unsuccessful. During that meeting, Trump reportedly provoked him multiple times, referring to him as the ‘governor of the great Canadian state.”

The resignations of a key ally in Trudeau’s government has fueled existing mistrust towards the Prime Minister—not only among the public and the opposition, but also, and especially, within his own party and among allied parties, such as the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois, Quebec’s nationalist party.

On Monday, January 6, Justin Trudeau announced his upcoming resignation, just two days after a party meeting that effectively sealed his fate. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and I understand that if I have to fight internal battles to get there, then I cannot be the right choice,” the Prime Minister declared during an official press conference.

His resignation are considered “upcoming” because Trudeau clarified that he will remain Prime Minister until the Liberal party selects a new leader. This will allow Parliament to continue functioning until March 24, although both chambers will have their work suspended, including debates and voting sessions, without officially dissolving the Parliament.

However, this ‘future’ is quite near, as Canadian federal law requires a new election to be held by October 2025. Nevertheless, an early election could be anticipated due to the lack of confidence in the current government and a request from Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party. He has called for immediate elections, declaring that “the Canadian government is losing control.”

Even if elections take place scheduled in autumn 2025, the Liberal Party is significantly weaker than in previous years. According to the latest pools, the party would receive only 16% of the vote–its worst result in over a century. Moreover, former allied parties are now openly dissatisfied with the Liberal Party’s decisions. The leader of the New Democratic Party has repeatedly stated that he will no longer support the Liberals, declaring: “They do not deserve another chance.”

The frontrunner for the next election appears to be the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, who has already expressed skepticism about the Liberal Party’s leadership. “Every Liberal minister supported everything Trudeau did for nine years, and now what? They think they can fool voters by changing the face of the party to keep tricking Canadians for four more years, just like Justin did” wrote on his X profile.

What the Conservative leader is promising is not far from Trump’s bold pledges, and his rhetoric is similarly striking. Poilievre has proposed reducing taxes and tightening controls on immigration to address what he calls a “dark chapter” in Canadian history. “Canadians can take back control of their lives and their country. They can take back control of our borders, immigration, public spending, the budget deficit, and inflation” he declared in a video posted on X. “We cap government spending, cut taxes, reward hard work, build houses, support families, stop crime, secure the borders, rearm our military, reestablish freedom and put Canada first.”

His vision of the country does not align with what Canadians need,” Trudeau said, referring to his main political rival since 2022. “We need an ambitious and optimistic vision for the future. And Pierre Poilievre’s is neither ambitious nor optimistic.”

To challenge Poilievre, in addition to the already mentioned Deputy Prime Minister and Finances Minister Chrystia Freeland, former governor of the Bank of Canada and of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, could emerge as a contender. As an experienced economist, Carney is seen by many within the Liberal Party as someone who could restore stability to the country.

Beyond Canada’s borders, news of Trudeau’s resignation quickly reached the United States, eliciting starkly reactions from the outgoing and incoming presidents. Joe Biden expressed gratitude for Trudeau’s leadership: “Over the past decade, Prime Minister Trudeau has led Canada with dedication, optimism, and a strategic vision. The alliance between the United States and Canada is stronger because of him. Americans and Canadians are safer because of him. The world is a better place because of him.”

Donald Trump, on the other hand, fully acknowledged his influence on the situation. He claimed that Trudeau was forced to resign due to his threats of imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian exports. Trump has continued to pressure Canada with the aggressive and unyielding policies that defines his first term and have already begun reshaping international relations. He then declared: “If Canada joined the United States, there would be no tariffs, taxes would be lower, and Canadians would be completely safe.”


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L'Autore

Lorenzo Graziani

Categories

North America

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Canada Trudeau Trump UnitedStatesofAmerica Dimissioni elezioni crisi politica crisi economica