Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns

Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he is resigning after nearly a decade in office following mounting calls for him to step down.The 53-year-old said he plans to stay on in his post until his ruling lefty Liberal Party chooses a replacement.“I am a fighter and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this,” Trudeau said at a news conference outside his home at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.“But I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians and by what is in the best interests of Canadians — and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election.”“It has become obvious to me, with the internal battles, that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election,” he added.The announcement comes after an embattled Trudeau was hit with a barrage of calls to quit in recent weeks in the wake of a slew of alarming polls indicating dwindling support.Grim polling has shown that his party would badly lose to the opposing Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilevre, in an election that had to be held by late October.

Canada’s parliament, which had been due to resume Jan.27, will be suspended, or prorogued, until March 24 — allowing the party to hold a leadership race, Trudeau said.Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, has seen his popularity plummet in recent years over a range of issues — including spending and the soaring cost of food and housing.Calls for him to step down also gained momentum after his then-finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, abruptly quit last month.Her shock resignation came after Trudeau tried to demote her when she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.

Freeland penned a scathing letter accusing Trudeau of “political gimmicks” rather than focusing on what was best for Canada’s economy.The political upheaval comes, too, as a Donald Trump presidency — and the threat of 25% ...