After 12 years at the helm of Canada's Liberal Party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday. His resignation kicks off a succession battle in which some of the party's most prominent figures will vie to replace him.
In Canada's political system, the leader of the Liberal Party is also the prime minister as the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons; They will also serve as party leader when Mr. Trudeau is elected.
That politician will lead the party into the general election to face the Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre, who dominate the opinion polls. The election is due no later than October, but the government under the new prime minister is expected to fall by a vote in the House of Commons well before then.
Mr. Trudeau said the Liberal Party will choose his successor by voting among its members, a relatively small part of the Canadian population. While no one has yet announced a candidacy to replace Mr. Trudeau, here are some possible candidates.
Christia Freeland
Kristia Freeland's resignation last month, the former deputy prime minister and finance minister has sparked widespread speculation that he will launch his own bid to lead the Liberal Party.
Ms. Freeland has built a successful career as an international journalist as editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail in Toronto, Canada, and as a reporter and head of news at the Financial Times and Reuters. Born and raised in Alberta, Ms. Freeland returned to Canada in 2013 to join Mr. Trudeau's Liberals. She is married to a reporter on the Culture desk of The New York Times.
After the Liberals later came to power, he played a key role in negotiating a number of important issues for Mr. Trudeau, notably negotiating a successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement during the first Trump administration.
On Monday, Mr. Trudeau had kind words for Ms. Freeland, though he declined to share what happened between them. People familiar with the events surrounding his departure said Mr. Trudeau had tried to fire him through a video call and offered him the post of minister without portfolio, which he declined.
Dominique LeBlanc
Dominic LeBlanc, He is a longtime friend of Mr. Trudeau, who became finance minister when Ms. Freeland resigned, and Mr. LeBlanc has known him since he babysat for Mr. Trudeau and his siblings in Ottawa. Both men were pallbearers at each other's father's funeral. Mr. Trudeau's father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was once prime minister, and Mr. LeBlanc's father, Romeo LeBlanc, served as press secretary to the elder Mr. Trudeau. Later, he was the official head of state of Canada as the representative of the then Queen Elizabeth, the Governor General of Canada.
Mr. LeBlanc was among a Canadian contingent flying to Florida to meet U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, after he threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods. border security issues. Mr. LeBlanc was first elected as a member of parliament in 2000 and has held various portfolios in Mr. Trudeau's administration, most recently as public safety minister.
Mr. LeBlanc, who is from the predominantly French-speaking part of New Brunswick, had considered running for the Liberal leadership in 2012, but changed his mind when Mr. Trudeau told him he would.
Melanie Jolie
Melanie Jolie has been Since 2021, he is the chief diplomat of Canada. Mr. Trudeau, despite his own hesitations, accepted the foreign policy role, encouraging her to take the next step in her political career: Ms. Jolie worried about how the job might affect her fertility treatments.
Ms. Jolie brought her own brand of pragmatic diplomacy to the role, reinforcing the importance of Canada working with leaders who hold opposing views on foreign policy.
“There is a movement that I am against, that is, if you don't communicate with countries, you send a message that you are strong” He told “The Times” newspaper. “I think being strong is being able to negotiate hard.”
Ms. Joly has led Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, but also faced challenges. He expelled six Indian diplomats from Canada and disputed claims of foreign interference by China and India.
Mark Carney
Mr. Trudeau's team was personally pursuing Mark Carney. The former governor of the Bank of Canada, who also heads the Bank of England, took over as finance minister from Ms Freeland. Mr. Carney and Ms. Freeland are longtime friends, and he is godfather to one of her children.
Efforts to pursue Mr. Carney came after Ms. Freeland's public falling out with Mr. Trudeau and his resignation from cabinet. Since then, Canadian news agencies have reported, Mr. Carney has been calling Liberal members of parliament to ask for their support and advice if he runs for the leadership.
During his time as governor of the Bank of England, Mr Carney gained a reputation for delivering sermons that turned to political topics, including his views on the financial dangers of climate change. In his latest book, Values, Mr. Carney offered a blunt critique of capitalism and suggested that markets should serve citizens.