Why the Trudeau era has ended

For several months now, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been asked variations of the same question: “Will you resign?”

But while he vowed to stay on as leader of the Liberal Party – despite deepening disenchantment among voters and a growing political rival in the polls – even the self-described “warrior” could not withstand a growing chorus of calls from members of his own party. resign.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it’s clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles, I’m not going to be the best choice in this election,” Trudeau admitted in announcing his resignation on Monday. The front of Rideau Cottage, his official residence for the past decade.

He will remain prime minister until a new Liberal Party leader is elected at a date yet to be determined by the Liberal Party.

Trudeau came to power nearly a decade ago, heralded as the fresh face of progressive politics.

In 2015, voters drawn to his youthful charisma and hopeful political message took the Liberals from a third-place finish to a majority of seats in parliament — unprecedented in Canadian political history.

He now remains the only leader standing among his peers after taking office, from Barack Obama to Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe and David Cameron, and at 53, he is now the longest-serving leader in the G7.

But in the years since his rise to the global stage and two general elections, Trudeau and his brand have been a drag on the party’s fortunes.

Paul Wells, a Canadian political journalist and author of On the Ropes, recently told the BBC that he believes Trudeau will be remembered as prime minister “ultimately”, particularly for his genuine leadership on issues such as Indigenous reconciliation and, to some extent, climate change. policy.

But he is also one “increasingly alienated from public opinion and unable to adapt to changing times.”

On Monday, Trudeau said he was proud of his accomplishments in office, including managing the stormy Covid pandemic, renegotiating a free trade agreement with the last Trump administration and implementing a child benefit that helped reduce poverty.

But a series of ethics scandals began to tarnish the new government early on — it was found to have violated federal conflict-of-interest rules while handling a corruption probe — The case of SNC-Laval – and for luxury trips to the Bahamas.

In 2020, he faced scrutiny for choosing a charity with ties to his family to run a major government program.

In the 2019 general election, his party was reduced to minority status, meaning the Liberals had to rely on the support of other parties to stay in power.

The early election in 2021 did not improve their fortunes.

Recently, Trudeau has faced headwinds from rising cost of living and inflation that have disrupted elections around the world.

Mr Wells said there was also frustration in the country over what appeared to be a struggle to deliver on big promises – a “stuffy, overstuffed” agenda – and handling of documents such as immigration.

Late last year, the Liberals backed away from ambitious immigration targets, citing mismanagement of the issue by significantly reducing the number of new arrivals allowed in Canada.

He also sometimes gave his opponents easy political victories, including when he was revealed to be in black and brownface before taking office.

And after more than nine years in power, he is among Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers, and there is a general sense of weariness and frustration in his government.

So the writing was on the wall.