Trudeau announces resignation as PM; Trump reacts by repeating call for Canada-US merger
Justin Trudeau will resign as Liberal Party head but remain prime minister until new leader is chosen, months before legislative elections
01:45
Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian Prime Minister
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down, succumbing to pressure from within his own Liberal Party months ahead of an October deadline for the country’s next legislative elections.
Trudeau’s move ends nearly a decade in power, and marks a stark contrast to when he became prime minister in 2015, on a wave of enthusiasm that ended a period of similar length, during which Canada’s Conservative Party held sway. Polling indicates the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, is likely to defeat Trudeau’s successor.
Trudeau said that Canada’s Parliament would be prorogued until March 24 to allow time for his party to select a new leader, and that he would remain prime minister until that time.
“I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians, and by what is in the best interest of Canadians, and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
“It has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election.”
