Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as leader of the country’s Liberal Party this week.
The report comes from The Globe and Mail, citing three sources who said they expected his announcement to come some time this week, possibly before a key caucus meeting on Wednesday. His announcement could come as early as Monday (local time).
Trudeau’s expected departure as prime minister comes during an election year for Canada and as the Liberal Party trails in the polls behind the Conservatives.
According to reports, it is unclear whether Trudeau will leave the role immediately, or stay on as prime minister until a new leader is elected.
Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013 and was first elected as prime minister in 2015. He has since won two more elections in 2019 and 2021.
Canada will have a national election this year, some time before October 20.
Canada’s Green Party Leader Elizabeth May recently said that the country should not have its election as Donald Trump takes office in the US. She said Canada should negotiate with Trump about impending tariffs “from a place of strength” and that a transitioning government was not best placed to do so.
The news of Trudeau’s possible resignation follows the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in December. Her resignation sent shockwaves through Canadian politics, but came after weeks of internal political trouble. Reports suggest Freeland and Trudeau had disagreements about the fiscal direction of the government.
In her resignation statement, Freeland said she was concerned about Donald Trump’s threat of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports.
“We need to take the threat extremely seriously. That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war,” she wrote.
Freeland had been one of the most well known members of the government and her resignation has brought Trudeau’s leadership under sharper scrutiny. A recent poll suggested Canadians see Freeland as Trudeau’s most viable successor. Freeland has not left her role as an MP and intends to seek another term of parliament.