Canada: Trudeau announces resignation
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he is stepping down as leader of his Liberal Party. He will also resign as prime minister as soon as a successor is found, Trudeau said on Monday. Once hailed by many Canadians as a beacon of hope, Trudeau, who has been in office since 2015, has increasingly come under fire recently, in particular over his economic policy.
He personified progress
Although Trudeau failed to keep all his promises he brought progressive change, the Irish Examiner underlines:
“As prime minister, he oversaw landmark reforms such as the legalisation of marijuana and programmes aimed at bolstering childcare access and affordability. ... For example, Trudeau headed to an airport to personally welcome Syrian refugees after Trump had signed off on his so-called Muslim ban. The result – reinforced through stances such as his gender-balanced cabinet, the emphasis on LGBTQ+ rights, and his determination to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees – had helped to position Canada as more inclusive and globally minded.”
Fiscal policy was the last straw
According to 24tv.ua Trudeau has set the wrong political priorities for years:
“During his ten years in office, Justin Trudeau spent money on everything but the things Canada really needed. During this time its bureaucracy flourished, but its army has deteriorated. Against the backdrop of the fight to protect the environment in Canada, the country's traditional industries, especially mining, have been plunged into crisis. The game of subsidies for all has resulted in a fiscal crisis. This is the reason why Donald Trump has been mocking Canada and Trudeau for months. It was also basically the last straw and triggered the crisis within the Trudeau government.”
The worst possible timing
Canada will have a hard time standing up to the US in the imminent trade conflict, warns the Neue Zürcher Zeitung:
“The lack of leadership from the head of government comes at a very bad time for Canada. Donald Trump will begin his second term in Washington on 20 January and has startled the neighbour to the north with threats to immediately impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports. Around 75 percent of Canada's exports go to the US. ... The situation calls for concerted action by politicians and businesses in Canada to counter Trump. But after Trudeau's announcement it is likely to remain unclear until at least the middle of the year who will lead Canada in the future.”
Vain, rudderless, the worst to date
For Michael Taube commenting in The Spectator, it was high time for Trudeau to go:
“Trudeau is not only the worst prime minister in Canadian history, but also the most delusional. ... Trudeau either felt he'd done nothing wrong as PM – or that everyone else was to blame for his demise. He also seemingly thought that he could turn this rudderless Liberal ship around. Based on what evidence? Beats me. The list of his failures, missteps and blunders since becoming PM in 2015 leaves the mistakes of every previous prime minister in the dust.”
The problem with the US
Corriere della Sera analyses Trudeau's withdrawal in the context of Donald Trump's approaching inauguration:
“The US president-elect made fun of Trudeau by calling him a 'governor' and alluding to the possibility of Canada becoming the US's 51st state. The prime minister in Ottawa responded by describing the Republican's victory against Kamala Harris as proof of a regressive machismo across the border. ... Canada, however, cannot get along without the US, its most important trading partner. ... Canada's economy is ailing, GDP per capita is in free fall, and US neo-protectionism certainly won't help boost the Canadians' purchasing power.”