Canada: Trudeau era ends after 10 years, Justin Trudeau leaves behind many challenges with resignation

Ottawa. Justin Trudeau officially announced his resignation as Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party on Monday. This is the end of Trudeau’s era after being at the top of Canadian politics for nearly a decade. Growing discontent within the party and a rapid decline in public support forced Trudeau to resign. In a statement on Monday, Trudeau acknowledged the difficulties of recent years.

What next after Trudeau’s resignation?
Trudeau will continue to serve as caretaker Prime Minister until a new leader is elected in Canada, ensuring continuity of government. The Liberal Party will select its new leader through an internal process. This process will be according to the party’s rules and deadlines. The new leader of the Liberal Party will be appointed Prime Minister, provided the party maintains a majority in Parliament. According to reports, the proceedings of Parliament will be adjourned till March 24, giving the new leadership time to adjust.

Trudeau’s resignation is a major challenge for the Liberal Party, which will now have to undergo a leadership change before the next federal election scheduled for October 2025. Trudeau said he has asked his Liberal Party president to begin the process of selecting a new leader. He will remain the caretaker PM until the next leader is elected.

With Trudeau’s resignation, a new leadership race has begun within the Liberal Party. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet in December over disagreements over economic policy, has emerged as a potential contender. Other names include Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and former Defense Minister Anita Anand.

The party is also facing increasing pressure from the opposition Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, who currently holds a 20-point lead in public opinion.

What is the challenge for the next PM?
Justin Trudeau’s resignation comes at a time when the country is facing growing tensions with the US. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% import duty on Canadian products. Trump has warned of taking this step citing his concerns about migration and trade imbalances. These threats have further increased uncertainty in the Canadian economy, which will become a major challenge for Trudeau’s successor.

Many important decisions taken in 10 years
Trudeau’s nearly ten-year-long tenure is full of many important decisions. During this time he took major decisions such as legalizing cannabis, implementing carbon tax and signing a revised trade deal with the US.

However, in his final years, internal dissent, economic difficulties and the falling popularity of the Liberal Party made his tenure difficult. Trudeau’s resignation marked the end of a political career that began with great expectations but ended amid growing crises at the domestic and international levels.

How is the Prime Minister elected in Canada?
The Prime Minister in Canada is elected under the parliamentary system. The political structure of Canada is based on the parliamentary system of Britain, where the PM is not directly elected by the people, but by the party having majority in the Parliament.

To become the Prime Minister in Canada, first a person must be a member of the lower house of Parliament, called the House of Commons, i.e. a Member of Parliament (MP). There are a total of 338 seats in the House of Commons and various political parties field their candidates on these seats.

In Canada, every political party has a leader. Whichever party wins the most seats (170 or more in most cases) in the election, the leader of that party is automatically eligible to become the Prime Minister. The tenure of the Prime Minister in Canada is not fixed, but usually federal elections are held after 4 years. The Prime Minister remains in office as long as he maintains a majority in Parliament. If the Prime Minister’s government loses majority in Parliament, then either he has to resign or the Governor General dissolves the Parliament and new elections are held.