On Monday, Canada's Justin Trudeau said he would step down as head of the ruling Liberal Party but will remain as prime minister until a new leader is elected before a general election scheduled for late October.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust national competitive process.
“Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to start that process. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best choice in those elections,” he said during a press conference on Monday.
Trudeau said he “fought for this country” during his nearly 10 years as prime minister after announcing his resignation as leader of the ruling Liberal Party.
“Every morning I woke up as Prime Minister and was inspired by the resilience, generosity and determination of Canadians. “I have fought for this country, for you,” he told reporters on Monday.
Trudeau cited his administration's support for Ukraine and its policy during the Covid-19 pandemic as one of his greatest achievements since taking power in 2015.
“We came together to support each other during the pandemic… to stand firm with Ukraine and our democracy, fight climate change and prepare our economy for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.
“If I have any regrets, especially as we approach this election, well, I'll probably think of a lot of regrets,” Trudeau said. “But I wish we could have changed the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could just choose a second choice or a third choice on the same ballot.”
“As everyone knows, I'm a fighter and I'm not one to walk away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one. But I have always been driven by my love of Canada, my desire to serve Canadians and the best of Canadians, and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election. And it has become obvious to me – with the internal battles – that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard in the next election,” Trudeau later added.
Trudeau first entered the political scene in 2008, when he was elected as a member of Parliament, and then leader of the Liberal Party five years later.
In 2015, he claimed the premiership after campaigning on an anti-Conservative platform and winning a clear majority in the October election, beating his predecessor, Stephen Harper.
Trudeau, one of the youngest leaders in the country's history, rose to popularity by pushing progressive values on the global stage, branding himself an antidote to former President Donald Trump. He won successive elections in 2019 and 2021.
But his initial rise has steadily declined after a series of political setbacks, including accusations of racism after old photos of him wearing blackface surfaced and anger over vaccine mandates during the coronavirus pandemic.
He has since fallen in the polls, after incoming US President Trump unleashed an avalanche of tariff threats and the subsequent surprise resignation of his former political ally and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, was facing a series of escalating crises, from Donald Trump's tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation would be seen as a decision by the Prime Minister to jump before being pressured, ahead of a general election later this year in which he is expected to lose.
The move would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader ahead of the general election, where polls show it will clearly lose to the opposition Conservative Party, led by firebrand Pierre Poilievre. The elections must be held on or before October 20, but could be brought forward.
The Liberal Party's national executive, which controls leadership issues, is scheduled to meet this week, probably after the caucus.
Trudeau was elected three times, most recently in 2021, when he remained in power but lost his governing majority. Since then, the Conservative Party, led by firebrand Pierre Poilievre, has built a lead over the Liberal Party of more than 20% in national polling averages.
Trudeau will remain acting prime minister until a new leader is elected.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may resign amid party dissent: reports