Here's what you need to know about the rise and fall of Mr. Trudeau and what might happen next.
Who is Justin Trudeau?
Mr. Trudeau grew up in the spotlight as the son of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. In 2015, at the age of 43, he became Mr. Trudeau Canada's second youngest leader after his Liberal Party won a strong parliamentary majority. Mr. Trudeau was social media savvy and enjoyed it for a long time political honeymoon after being selected. (He had too good hair.)
In 2017, Mr. Trudeau came under pressure to stand up to US President-elect Donald J. Trump. As Mr. Trump restricts immigration, Mr. Trudeau declared Canada open to asylum seekers, saying, “Diversity is our strength.”
Mr. Trudeau has prioritized two issues during his tenure. One of them was climate change. Another was reconciliation with local people about the generational damage from the abuse-ridden boarding school system. He also followed through on his promise to legalize marijuana.
In 2019, the Liberals retained power with Mr. Trudeau as their leader, but fell short of a parliamentary majority by a narrower margin. The Liberals needed the support of minor parties to advance Mr. Trudeau's legislative agenda.
In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Trudeau became the first Group of 7 leader to self-isolate since his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. tested positive For Covid-19. (The couple is now separated.) The next year, with his approval ratings still relatively high, he called a snap election, saying his party wanted a strong mandate to lead Canada out of the pandemic and into economic recovery.
Voters returned him to office in 2021, but the Liberals again failed to win a parliamentary majority. Mr. Trudeau has since faced sharp criticism from the Conservative opposition for some of his pandemic and recovery policies.
Why is his government unpopular?
Economy: Canada's post-pandemic inflation peaked at 8 percent, though it has since eased It is below 2 percent. Unemployment remains high, at around 6.4 percent. Conservatives hit the opposition Mr. Trudeau's carbon tax program.
Apartment: Housing prices in many major Canadian cities became unbearable. Economic analyzes this year showed that prices in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal would have to fall or incomes would rise impossibly to restore affordability.
Immigration: Mr. Trudeau said in October Tightening Canada's immigration policy After the country took in nearly three million people in three years, health and other services became difficult. “In the tumultuous times we've come out of the pandemic, we haven't quite got the balance right between meeting labor needs and protecting population growth,” he said.
Scandals: In 2018, Mr. Trudeau was accused of stalking a reporter in 2000. refused. In 2019, the federal ethics commissioner ruled that Mr. Trudeau had tried bypass, overlook and discredit in connection with the criminal case of his former justice minister and attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould v. SNC-LavalinA multinational engineering and construction firm based in Montreal. That same year, footage emerged of Mr. Trudeau wearing black or brownface as a student in the 1990s and as a teacher at a private prep school in 2001.
Confrontation: Mr. Trudeau's power slipped in September when the left-leaning New Democratic Party deprived the Liberals of the guaranteed support they needed to pass the legislation. Last month, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned suddenly, a bitter rebuke to Mr. Trudeau.
What if Mr. Trudeau resigns?
If he leaves the party chairmanship, he will no longer be the prime minister. But how he resigns is important.
Mr. Trudeau has two options: He can say he will resign when he becomes the party's new leader, weeks or months later.
Or he can resign immediately. In that case, the party will appoint an interim leader and he will not be able to run for the leadership under Liberal Party rules.
The next step will be to go to the federal election under the new Liberal leadership. Canada's next election is not due until October 2025, but a vote could be called or forced earlier.
The next federal election can be called at any time by two means. Mr. Trudeau has the power to dissolve Parliament at any time, which would trigger an election. Or if the opposition defeats the Liberal government in a confidence motion or rejects the draft budget, the government will fall, followed by an election.
Who are the main candidates to fulfill it?
Conservatives: Pierre Poilievre leads the Conservative Party from 2022, portraying himself as anti-Trudeau, practical and refined. He He supported the blockade of the Canadian capitalOttawa, 2022 led by truckers opposing vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. Mr. Poilievre has been at the highest level of government since at least 1999, when he was a university student. wrote an essay won about prize money what would he do as prime minister.
Liberals: After Christia Freeland's resignation last month, the former deputy prime minister and finance minister would nominate himself to lead the Liberal Party. Other nominees include Dominic LeBlanc, was finance minister when Mrs. Freeland resigned; Melanie Jolie, Senior diplomat of Canada from 2021; and Mark Carney, Former Governor of the Bank of Canada, who also headed the Bank of England.
Matina Stevis-Gridneff contributed to the report.