One of Canada’s worst political crises took an unexpected turn this Monday when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke his long days of silence and announced that he will resign from the position he has held for 10 years.
Trudeau, who became deeply unpopular due to a series of issues, including skyrocketing costs of food and housing, has been silent in recent weeks until his return to his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa after the holiday break.
What triggered the recent political crisis in Canada?
The last part of a long crisis for the prime minister, which includes unpopularity and doubts about his leadership, began on December 16 with the resignation of Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance, due to divergent views on how to handle the threats from Donald Trump.
The president-elect of the United States has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian products if the northern neighbor does not stop what he calls "a flow of migrants and drugs into the United States."
In her resignation letter, Freeland, a former ally, accused Trudeau of focusing on “costly political strategies” instead of addressing serious issues in the country, including threats from Trump.
What did Trudeau say in his press conference?
"Last night, during dinner, I told my children about the decision that I am sharing with you today. I intend to resign as the leader of the party and as prime minister after the party chooses its next leader through a robust competitive process at the national level," said Trudeau in front of his official residence.
Then the Prime Minister of Canada added, "Last night I asked the President of the Liberal Party to start that process. This country deserves a real option in the next elections, and it has become clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best choice in those elections."
Trudeau also said that he regretted not having changed his country's electoral system after advocating for a reform to preferential voting.
What will happen now in Canada with Trudeau's resignation?
Now with Trudeau's resignation as party leader, the Liberals could potentially delay the return of Parliament to buy time and choose a new leader.
Due to Trudeau’s Liberals not having an absolute majority in Parliament, they have relied for years on the support of the NDP (New Democratic Party) to pass legislation and stay in power. But that support has disappeared.