Canada's PM Justin Trudeau likely to resign as Liberal Party leader

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to announce his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party as soon as Monday (January 6), according to a report in The Globe and Mail, which cited three sources. While the timing of his announcement remains uncertain, the sources indicated that it could happen before an important national caucus meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

 

At the time of filing this report, the Canadian Prime Minister's office had not provided a comment.

 

It is still unclear whether Trudeau will step down immediately or remain in office until a successor is chosen. Trudeau became leader of the Liberal Party in 2013 when it was in a challenging position, having fallen to third place in the House of Commons.

 

Should he resign, the party would be left without a permanent leader at a critical moment, with polls indicating that the Liberals are likely to face a significant defeat in the upcoming election, which must take place by late October. This resignation could intensify calls for a swift election to establish a government capable of handling the administration of President-elect Donald Trump over the next four years.

 

Trudeau has reportedly discussed with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc the possibility of LeBlanc stepping in as interim leader and prime minister. However, this plan would not be feasible if LeBlanc intends to pursue the party leadership himself.