Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down after nearly a decade in charge.
During a hastily-assembled news conference outside his Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Trudeau made the announcement in the past few minutes and there will be fresh elections on March 24.
Speculation has been swirling in the past few days that the announcement was incoming, although many didn’t expect Trudeau to resign this early.
Trudeau is one of the longest-serving Canadian PMs, although he didn’t manage to match the tenure of his father, Pierre Trudeau. He was voted in amid a wave of popularity for his ruling Liberal Party in late 2015 – very much viewed as a fresh face for the future and beating incumbent Stephen Harper – but has faced multiple challenges during a near decade-long tenure.
In 2019, he lost his majority and was reduced to a minority government, which became a confidence and supply agreement with the rival New Democratic Party in 2022. Public trust in him has meanwhile been eroded by three investigations by the ethics commissioner. Amid dwindling poll numbers, he has been facing up to the prospect of another Donald Trump presidency. Trump, who takes office in two weeks, has vowed to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods if the country does not secure its shared border to the flow of irregular migrants and illegal drugs.
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