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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may resign as soon as Monday, according to media reports, amid growing dissent within his Liberal Party.
National newspapers The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star reported that sources within Trudeau’s party expect him to step down ahead of its national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
Sources told both newspapers that the announcement could be made within the next 24 hours, according to stories published on Sunday.
Trudeau’s office declined to comment when contacted by AFP regarding the reports.
If Trudeau resigns, his party would be left without a leader just months before the next legislative elections, scheduled for the end of October.
It is unclear whether Trudeau, 53, would serve as interim leader or vacate the position immediately if he stepped down as prime minister.
Trudeau’s popularity has declined in recent months. His government narrowly survived a series of no-confidence votes, and critics have increasingly called for his resignation.
Although he pledged to guide the Liberals to the next elections, Trudeau has faced additional pressure from incoming US President Donald Trump, who has threatened a 25-percent tariff on Canadian goods.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December after clashing with Trudeau over how to address Trump’s trade threats, marking the first open dissent against him within his cabinet.
In an effort to stabilise his government, Trudeau announced a major cabinet reshuffle later that month, replacing a third of his ministers.
He travelled to Florida in November to meet Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate in an attempt to avert a trade war. However, Trump has since made disparaging remarks on social media, mocking Trudeau as “governor” of Canada and suggesting Canada could become the 51st US state.
Trudeau initially rose to power in 2015 and led the Liberals to additional electoral victories in 2019 and 2021. However, he now trails his main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, by 20 points in public opinion polls.
The eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who died in 2000, Justin Trudeau entered politics later in life after working as a snowboard instructor, bartender, bouncer, and teacher.
During his tenure, he introduced Senate reforms, signed a new trade deal with the United States, and implemented a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The married father of three also legalised cannabis, launched a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, and passed legislation permitting medically assisted suicide.
Pascal Arogorn Ibe
