Justin Trudeau prepares to step down as party leader, setting off succession race: Live updates in Canada

Here’s what to know about Mr. Trudeau’s rise and fall, and what could happen next.

Who is Justin Trudeau?

Mr. Trudeau grew up in the spotlight as the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister. In 2015, when he was 43, he became Mr. Trudeau Canada’s second-youngest leader After his Liberal Party won a strong parliamentary majority. Mr. Trudeau was savvy with social media and had a great time Political honeymoon After his election. (And he had it too Good hair.)

In 2017, Mr. Trudeau was under pressure to stand up to Donald J. Trump, the newly elected US president. While Mr. Trump restricted immigration, Mr. Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s openness to asylum seekers, declaring:Diversity is our strength“.

During his time in office, Mr. Trudeau has prioritized two issues. One was climate change. The other was reconciliation with indigenous people, about the generational damage caused by a residential school system that was rife with abuse. He also followed through on his pledge to legalize marijuana.

In 2019, the Liberals maintained their grip on power with Mr. Trudeau as their leader, but by a narrower margin, and failed to secure a majority in Parliament. The Liberals needed support from minor parties to advance Mr. Trudeau’s legislative agenda.

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Mr. Trudeau became the first G7 leader to self-isolate, after his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Tested positive For Covid-19. (The couple is now separated.) The following year, when his approval ratings were still relatively high, he called a snap election, saying he wanted a strong mandate for his party to lead Canada out of the pandemic and toward economic recovery.

Voters returned him to office in 2021, but the Liberals again failed to win a majority of votes in Parliament. Since then, Mr. Trudeau has faced intense criticism from the Conservative opposition over some of his pandemic and recovery policies.

Why is his government unpopular?

economy: Canada’s inflation rate rose after the pandemic to 8%, although it has declined since then Less than 2 percent. Unemployment remains high, at about 6.4 percent. The conservative opposition was beaten Mr. Trudeau’s carbon tax program.

Accommodation: The cost of housing in many major Canadian cities It became untenable. An economic analysis this year found that in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, prices must fall, or incomes must rise unsustainably, to restore affordability.

Immigration: In October, Mr. Trudeau said he was Tightening immigration policies in Canada After the country received nearly three million people over three years, straining health care and other services. “In the turbulent times we have emerged from the pandemic, between meeting business needs and maintaining population growth, we have not quite struck the right balance,” he said.

Scandals: In 2018, Mr. Trudeau was accused of groping a reporter in 2000, an allegation He refused. The federal ethics commissioner ruled in 2019 that Mr. Trudeau had tried To deceive, undermine and distort reputation Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, in connection with a criminal case v. SNC-LavalinLtd., a multinational engineering and construction company headquartered in Montreal. That same year, photos emerged of Mr. Trudeau in black or brownface as a student in the 1990s and as a teacher at a private middle school in 2001.

Infighting: Mr. Trudeau Authority declined in September when the left-leaning New Democratic Party denied the Liberals the guaranteed support needed to pass legislation. This week, Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, He resigned suddenly, with a stinging rebuke To Mr. Trudeau.

What happens if Mr. Trudeau resigns?

If he steps down as party leader, he will no longer be prime minister. But how he steps down is what matters.

Mr. Trudeau has two options: He can say he will step down when the party has a new leader, a few weeks or months in the future.

Or he can step down immediately. In this case, the party appoints an interim leader, who cannot then run for the leadership under Liberal Party rules.

The next step will be to head to federal elections under the new Liberal leadership. Canada’s next election must be held by October 2025, but a vote could be called or forced earlier.

The next federal election could be held at any time through two means. Mr. Trudeau has the power to dissolve Parliament at any time, which would trigger an election. Or if the opposition can defeat the Liberal government through a motion of confidence or vote against the budget bill, the government will fall, and elections will follow.

Who are the most prominent contenders to succeed him?

Conservatives: Pierre Poilievre has led the Conservative Party since 2022, and describes himself as anti-Trudeau, pragmatic and humble. he Supporting the siege imposed on the Canadian capitalOttawa, in 2022 led by truck drivers who opposed vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. Mr. Poilievre has been eyeing the top government job since at least 1999, when he was a university student. He wrote an article For which she won a cash prize What will he do as prime minister?.

Liberals: Following her resignation this week, there was widespread speculation that Chrystia Freeland, The former deputy prime minister and finance minister will begin her own bid to run the Liberal Party. Other contenders include Dominique LeBlanc, who became Minister of Finance when Mrs. Freeland resigned; Melanie Jolie, Canada’s top diplomat since 2021; And Mark Carney, Former Governor of the Bank of Canada, who also headed the Bank of England.

Matina Stevis-Grednev Contributed to reports.