Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation Monday, saying he would leave office as soon as his party chooses a new leader, with slumping polls and internal division taking their toll.
"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister," Trudeau, told reporters in Ottawa following a protracted political crisis that saw top Liberal allies urge him to quit.
He started addressing the media at 10:45 am local time (1545 GMT).
Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, has been facing his worst political crisis since becoming premier in 2015.
Internal crisis, international worry
Parliament was due to resume on 27 January in Canada and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could, most likely at the end of March or before the end of May.
Trudeau confirmed that he had received permission from Canada's governor general to suspend all parliamentary business until March 24.
He said the Liberal leadership race will be "a robust, nationwide competitive process."
Trudeau's Liberals are trailing badly in the polls to the opposition Conservatives and narrowly survived three non-confidence votes in parliament late last year.
His minority government had been held up by a deal with the left-wing New Democratic Party but in December the NDP said they would vote to topple Trudeau at the next opportunity.
That could give the Liberals time to choose a new leader while restricting the opposition chances to bring a vote of non-confidence.
His party, the Liberals, are trailing badly in the polls to the opposition Conservatives, and narrowly survived three non-confidence votes in parliament late last year.
He now trails his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, by 20 points in public opinion polls, who described himself as a "true conservative", often presented as libertarian and populist. He could be tempted to align Canada's policy with the one of the new US president, Donald Trump.
This is also bad news for France and Western Europe, as President Emmanuel Macron has joined the Norwegian and British prime ministers as well a German government spokesperson on Monday in responding to a barrage of hostile posts by Trump's key ally Elon Musk, who has been backing far-right political parties and attacking leftwing politicians in Europe.
Macron and Trudeau pledge common front on economy, language
Canada - US tensions
Trudeau's political fortunes plunged to new depths following the surprise resignation in December of his former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland.
In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of focusing on political gimmicks to appease voters, including a costly Christmas tax holiday, instead of steadying Canada's finances ahead of a possible trade war with the United States.
Incoming US president Donald Trump has promised to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian imports, a measure that could prove devastating to Canada's economy, and Trudeau has vowed to retaliate.
Today's resignation means that Trudeau will continue to lead Canada when Trump takes office later this month and will be tasked with leading the country's initial response to the new US administration, including a possible trade war.
Trump also stirred controversy by suggesting Canada's merge with the US, only a few hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced resignation.
"Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned," Trump wrote on his own network Truth Social on Monday.
Echoing the fears of many Canadians, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May recently said the country should not go into a federal election with a second Trump administration about to take office in Washington, as Trump recently threatened to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States.
(with newswires)
