Why Trudeau Plans to Resign from the Liberal Party of Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to announce his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party this week. It is unclear whether he will remain in office temporarily until a new party leader is chosen or immediately step down after the "beloved prime minister" loses popularity.

Trudeau's political crisis deepened last December, with Canadian opposition parties demanding that the prime minister resign and call an early election, more than 50 of the 75 Liberal MPs withdrawing their support for him, and his MP Chrystia Freeland resigning in protest of his policies.

But the crisis is not surprising. It has been building over the past few years and was triggered by the election victory of US President-elect Donald Trump, who considers Trudeau the "51st governor of the American state."

1-Why Trudeau's popularity has declined

Canadian opinion polls in recent weeks have shown a significant decline in support for the Liberal Party led by Trudeau who has been in power for 9 years with the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre leading the way; as the party's popularity has declined, so has Trudeau's popularity.

The "WE Charity" scandal in 2020 also contributed to controversy over his transparency and integrity, as he awarded a government contract to the foundation with connections to his family.

Many Canadians have lost confidence in Trudeau as the broken campaign promises have mounted. At the start of his mandate in 2019, the Prime Minister promised to improve health care and education, but these have not materialized as expected.

His government has also been increasingly criticized for increasing government spending, which has led to worsening debt, failing to address the housing crisis, and raising the costs of living.

2 - What does the resignation have to do with the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic in recent years has exacerbated the economic crisis in Canada, which Trudeau had promised to improve, and Canadians did not believe that the support programs launched by the government were sufficient to address the economic damage.

As a result, Canadians have accused the Trudeau government of mismanaging the pandemic crisis. In 2022, protests were launched by truckers whose work was severely affected by government restrictions to limit the spread of the virus, and the Canadian House of Commons responded by passing emergency legislation.

The activation of the emergency law divided Canadians, some of whom viewed Trudeau as an "autocrat," especially since the law had only been activated once before in a state of peace, in 1970.

3 - What criticism has he faced

Canadians have also accused the prime minister of "selfishness and putting his interest ahead of the national interest," following the 2021 snap election he called to strengthen the parliamentary majority and weaken the opposition, which did not succeed as hoped, as he obtained a minority parliamentary government.

In 2019, Canadians criticized Trudeau for his interference in the justice system, after he intervened to ease sanctions against the construction company "SNC-Lavalin" by pressuring the former justice minister, something the prime minister later denied.

4 - What is the role of the United States

While the United States does not directly affect Canada, American economic policies cast a shadow over Ottawa, especially since the two countries are linked by trade agreements.

With Trump returning to the American presidency, Trudeau has been accused of adopting "costly political tricks" instead of directly confronting the American president, who intends to raise tariffs on Canadian imports to 25%.

Last November and December, his government conducted careful negotiations to avoid a trade war with the United States, but the meetings, including Trudeau's meeting with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort, failed to produce tangible results, adding to public frustration.

5 - How will the next election affect

With the federal election scheduled for October, the Liberal Party sees Trudeau as a liability and reduces his chances of winning.

The Liberals believe that Trudeau's survival will lead to the party's decline before the Conservatives. It will also not allow for the preparation of a new leader before the electoral battle or the renewal of the party's image.