In a subdued press conference on Monday morning, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he plans to step down from his role. The date he would actually leave office was not specified, but it would be before the next election, which is set to take place in the coming months. The announcement comes in the midst of dismal polling for Trudeau’s Liberal Party, with recent numbers putting the party’s support at a mere 16 percent, the lowest it’s been in over ten years.
While calls for his resignation have been mounting for months now, the pressure ticked up considerably when Chrystia Freeland—Trudeau’s Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister—unexpectedly resigned from the Cabinet back in December.
“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,” Trudeau said. “…Removing me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal Party should also decrease the level of polarization we’re seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics.”
For many, this decision is long overdue. Whether it’s the “costly political gimmicks” Freeland complained about in her resignation letter, the numerous scandals, or simply the economic slump Canada finds itself in, almost everyone is ready to begin a new chapter in Canadian politics.
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https://fee.org/articles/trudeau-announces-he-plans-to-resign/
