What brought down Trudeau? Behind the scenes of the resignation that shook Canada

After disagreements with allies, pressure from Donald Trump and a drop in polls, Justin Trudeau announces his resignation, opening the way for disputes in Canada’s future

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he plans to resign as leader of the Liberal Party, amid growing internal dissent.

The announcement, made on Monday, comes after intense speculation about his political future, fueled by public disagreements with former allies, a vote of no confidence scheduled for the end of January and a drop in popularity ratings.

“Every morning I woke up as Prime Minister, I was inspired by the resilience, generosity and determination of Canadians,” said Trudeau in a speech delivered from his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.

In announcing his intention to step down as party leader, he highlighted the challenges the Liberals face as they head into a federal election season. He explained that he will step down as soon as a replacement is chosen.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I am fighting internal battles, I cannot be the best option in this election.”

Trudeau communicated his plan ahead of the Liberal Party’s national meeting, scheduled for Wednesday.

Who is Trudeau?

Trudeau, 53, came to power in 2015 and led the Liberals to two more electoral victories, in 2019 and 2021.

The eldest son of the charismatic former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who passed away in 2000, Justin Trudeau began his political career after working as a snowboard instructor, bartender, security guard and teacher.

He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008, representing a working-class neighborhood of Montreal.

Trudeau reformed the Senate with the aim of making it less political and more transparent, ending partisan appointments and establishing an independent selection process based on merit.

During his first two terms as prime minister, he signed a new trade deal with the United States, introduced a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and legalized cannabis.

Additionally, he led a public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and passed legislation allowing assisted suicide.

A father of three, Trudeau reflected on some of his accomplishments during his speech Monday.

“We were elected in 2015 to fight for the middle class, and that is exactly what we have done over the last few years,” he said. “We lowered taxes, increased benefits for families, and made sure the economy was working for everyone, not just a few.”

How did we get here?

Trudeau’s popularity has been declining in recent months. His government narrowly survived a series of votes of no confidence as critics openly called for his resignation.

He had pledged to remain in office to lead the Liberals in the next election, but faced even more pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December after disagreeing with Trudeau over how to respond to Trump’s apparent plan, marking the first public sign of dissent within her cabinet.

In a post on Platform X, Freeland stated that she was stepping down after Trudeau asked for her resignation as finance minister. She cited disagreements with the prime minister, including how to deal with Trump’s tariff threat and “America First” economic nationalism.

Since then, a growing number of Liberal MPs, alarmed by unfavorable polls, have publicly called for Trudeau to step down.

After Trudeau gave in to those calls on Monday, many, including Freeland, applauded his decision.

“I thank Justin Trudeau for his years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family all the best,” Freeland wrote on social media.

What happens now?

Trudeau has requested that the Canadian Parliament undergo a period of suspension, pausing its sessions until March 24. Governor General Mary Simon approved the request.

For the Liberals, Trudeau’s departure will trigger a scramble to name his successor as party leader.

This race comes at a crucial time for the party, which faces federal elections scheduled to take place before October 20. Polls suggest that under Trudeau’s leadership, the Liberal Party would lose significantly to rival Conservatives if the vote were to take place now.

“I intend to step down as leader of the party, as prime minister, after the party chooses its next leader through a robust, national and competitive process,” Trudeau said.

Now that Trudeau has announced his intention to leave, the Liberals will need to organize a special leadership convention to choose their next boss.

The challenge for the party is that these conventions often take months to organize, and if an election were to take place before then, the Liberals would be in the hands of a prime minister not chosen by the members.

This has never happened in Canada. Liberals could try to organize a shorter-than-normal convention, but that could trigger protests from candidates who feel disadvantaged.

Who are the possible candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party?

Among the politicians widely touted as possible candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party are:

• Mark Carney: Economist and banker, former governor of the Bank of Canada, who has advised the Liberal government on economic issues.
• Francois-Philippe Champagne: Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry since 2021, was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Chrystia Freeland: Member of Parliament for University-Rosedale, Ontario, and former Deputy Prime Minister. Viewed as a credible and stable alternative to Trudeau, Freeland is performing strongly in polls.
• Melanie Joly: Current Minister of Foreign Affairs, she has stood out on the international scene and would be in charge of dealing with issues related to Trump.
• Dominic LeBlanc: Considered a close ally of Trudeau, he was named finance minister after Freeland’s departure.

What is Trump’s role in all of this?

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on his three biggest trading partners – Canada, Mexico and China – as soon as he takes office on January 20.

Trump suggested that Canada and Mexico have “absolute power” to solve the problem, but until that happens, “they must pay a very high price.”

Trudeau traveled to Florida in November to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in an attempt to avoid a trade war.

However, Trump continued to attack Trudeau on social media, repeatedly calling him the “governor” of Canada and suggesting the country become the 51st US state.

Several Trump allies, including billionaire and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, have also attacked Trudeau on their platforms.

Musk, for example, celebrated the news of Trudeau’s resignation with a post on his social network X: “2025 is looking good”.

Trump, in turn, celebrated the announcement with his own publication, in which he repeated his call for Canada to become the “51st state” of the USA.

“If Canada merged with the USA, there would be no tariffs, taxes would drop dramatically, and they would be COMPLETELY SECURE from the threat of Russian and Chinese ships that constantly surround them,” Trump wrote. “Together, what a great nation it would be!!!”

Who is Pierre Poilievre?

Pierre Poilievre is widely seen as Canada’s likely next prime minister after the upcoming election.

In recent days, Trudeau has been 20 points behind Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, in public opinion polls.

Poilievre is known for his blunt style and not mincing words. He has previously called Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante “incompetent”, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh a “traitor” and Trudeau “weak” and “crazy”.

The latest insult led to his temporary expulsion from the House of Commons for using “unparliamentary language” in April. Although debates in the Canadian Parliament are generally moderate, they have become more tense and lively recently.

Like Trump, Poilievre likes to create short, punchy slogans to convey his political messages.

He has already called for “abolish the tax,” referring to the federal carbon tax, and has coined the term “Justinflation” – a portmanteau of Trudeau’s name and the word inflation – to criticize the prime minister’s economic policies.

Similar to Trump, Poilievre also describes himself as a victim of mistreatment by elites and mainstream media.

He also faces low popularity among women, another similarity to Trump.

In 2022, when he ran for leadership of the Conservative Party, Poilievre, who has 20 years of experience in politics, was seen as an outsider but attracted large crowds at his rallies.

Born in Calgary, Poilievre was raised by a foster family. He developed a passion for politics from an early age and won a prize during his university studies for an essay on what he would do if he were prime minister.

With polls indicating he will likely win the next election, Poilievre vowed to put “Canada first!” – a slogan similar to “America First!” of Trump.

On Monday, he revisited that slogan in a video posted on social media to celebrate Trudeau’s decision to resign.

“Canada first, Canada last, Canada always,” Poilievre said, calling on voters to unite around him. “Let’s bring this home.”

With information from Al Jazeera*