Canada without a leader and parliament on hold until March

Justin Trudeau resigns after pressure from parliamentarians and low popularity. Prime Minister since 2015, suspends parliament until March amid political crisis in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. The 53-year-old leader said he will step down as head of the Liberal Party, which he has led since 2013. He explained that his decision will allow the party to choose a new leader while parliament will be suspended until March due to a political impasse.

Speaking to journalists outside his Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, the country’s capital, Trudeau said “internal battles” led him to conclude that he “may not be the best option” for the next election.

“I don’t give up easily in the face of a fight, especially one that is very important for our party and the country. But I do this work because the interests of Canadians and the well-being of democracy are something I deeply value,” he said.

Trudeau, who has served as prime minister since 2015, has faced calls to resign from his party colleagues due to low approval ratings in polls.

Pressure increased after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December due to disagreements over public policy.

Among the disagreements was how to deal with possible tariffs imposed by the administration of Donald Trump, who will soon assume the presidency of the United States.

Trudeau’s resignation comes as polls indicate the Liberal Party could suffer a major defeat to the main opposition Conservatives in an election expected to take place by the end of October.

Now the Liberals need to name an interim leader to take over as prime minister before a special convention to choose the new leader.

Trudeau came to power 10 years ago after a decade of Conservative rule and was initially praised for returning Canada to a more liberal politics.

However, in recent years he has become deeply unpopular due to issues such as rising food and housing costs and growth in immigration.

Justin Trudeau is the eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, one of Canada’s most famous prime ministers, who governed the country between 1968 and 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

This political turmoil comes at a difficult time for Canada on the international stage.

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if Ottawa does not control what he calls the flow of migrants and drugs into the US.

Far fewer migrants and drugs cross from Canada into the U.S. compared to Mexico, which Trump also threatened.

In a social media post on Christmas Day, Trump even suggested that the US could take control of Canada, as well as Greenland and the Panama Canal.

Canada is a major exporter of oil and natural gas to the US, which also depends on its northern neighbor for steel, aluminum and automobiles.