Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has revealed his intention to resign as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, signaling the end of his tenure at the helm of Canadian politics.
"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader," the 53-year-old announced during a press conference in Ottawa on Monday.
Trudeau will continue to serve as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until the Liberals elect a successor. The announcement marks a pivotal moment for both the party and the country, as Trudeau, who has led the Liberals since 2013 and served as prime minister since 2015, prepares to step aside after nearly a decade of leadership.
Trudeau's resignation comes as the Liberals are in a rather bleak position in the polls: the data shows that the opposition Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, is marching towards a major victory in the upcoming elections, which according to Canadian law must be prepared by the end of October this year at the latest.
According to the polls, Poilievre leads Trudeau by more than 20%. Following Trudeau's announcement, it is likely that there will be renewed calls for early elections in the coming months, so that Canada will have a stable government that can deal with the new administration headed by incoming US President Donald Trump.
According to reports in Canada, Trudeau recently asked his finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc, if he would be willing to serve as interim chairman of the Liberal Party and interim prime minister of Canada, although LeBlanc will not be able to do so if he decides to run for the leadership of the Liberals himself.
* CNN contributed to this article.
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