By: Sam Gruetter and Kloe Adams

Opinion and Editorial Editors

On Jan. 6, 2025, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his plans to resign before the end of his current term, which he has been serving for nine years. Trudeau’s unpopularity with the Canadian people has become increasingly apparent to many in the past few years, negatively reflecting on the Canadian Liberal Party, to which he belongs. The Liberal Party will select his replacement by March 24, 2025. At the press conference where he publicly announced his resignation, Trudeau stated, “This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.”

Trudeau’s term as prime minister spanned two elections and almost a decade, making him the longest-serving leader in the G7. Towards the end of his term, Trudeau faced increasing backlash and pressure from both his party and the Canadian people in response to his approach to several pressing social and economic issues, such as inflation, tariffs, and immigration. Trudeau’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, abruptly stepped down on Dec. 16, 2024,  reproaching his leadership and stewardship of the country. Additionally, Freeland, who had been a close ally of the prime minister, accused Trudeau of engaging in “costly political gimmicks” and being unprepared to face the challenges posed by American President-elect Donald Trump. However, his scandals were not limited to his office, as pictures surfaced of him before being in office, wearing blackface on multiple occasions. Furthermore, Canadians negatively commented that Trudeau’s policies seemed significantly more ambitious than his actions, resulting in his limiting the number of immigrants his government let into Canada.  

Following his resignation announcement, Trudeau confronted Canadian politician and leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre about his plans for the future of Canada. Trudeau has been under severe pressure from the Conservative Party, which in recent surveys has drawn a double-digit lead over the Liberal Party. In his briefing, Trudeau criticized Poilievre’s vision for Canada: “Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense. We need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future. And Pierre Poilievre is not offering that.” In response to Trudeau’s statement, Poilievre advanced his agenda for reducing taxes and enforcing strict controls on immigration. 

Trudeau’s resignation comes as Canada debates how to deal with Trump’s pledge to impose harsh tariffs on Canadian imports. Trump and Trudeau met in November, where the Canadian government hoped to address Trump’s tariff threat. In response to Trudeau’s resignation, Trump suggested Canada should become America’s 51st state, ultimately decreasing taxes and eliminating tariffs. 

(Sources: BBC, CNN, New York Times)