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| Canadian youngest PM Justin Trudeau | Photo: Reuters |
Canada's youngest prime minister (PM) Justin Trudeau, the rise and fall of his political life. Justin Trudeau (54) has been dealing with political problems in Canada for months. In this context, his announcement on Monday that he would resign as prime minister.
Even so, Trudeau's announcement could be seen as a surprising downfall for him, as he was once so popular that fans would line up to take selfies with him at any diplomatic meeting.
Let's briefly know some information about the ups and downs of Trudeau, who has been active in politics for almost 25 years:
2000
Justin Trudeau has been a star since he was born on Christmas Day 1971. At the time, his father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, was the prime minister of Canada. Later, his stardom was further enhanced by his wife, Margaret, a former television presenter (they later divorced). But a speech praising his father at his memorial service in 2000 hinted at Trudeau's own political ambitions. He was 28 at the time. "This is not the end," he told the mourners in the church.
2008
Trudeau was a secondary school teacher and was elected to Parliament in 2008 at the age of 36.
2012
This year, Trudeau defeated a rival Conservative leader, a black belt in karate, in a charity boxing match, further boosting his political career and popularity.
2013
Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party, which had become the country's dominant political force during his father, Elliot Trudeau's 15-year premiership. When he took over as leader of the Liberals, the party was beset by internal strife.
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| Trudeau announced on Monday that he would resign as prime minister | Photo: AFP |
2015
He impressed the international community by becoming prime minister at a relatively young age. He established a gender-equal cabinet. He made herself known as a feminist, environmentalist, and activist for the rights of refugees and ethnic minorities.
2016
Trudeau announced a national carbon tax program. The program also included tax-exempt consumers. It was a major reform move in the country's economic sector and one of his goals. However, political opponents opposed the measure, saying it would place a burden on every Canadian.
2017
A series of scandals have begun to slowly tarnish Trudeau's image. This year, an ethics commission found that he violated conflict of interest rules in 2016 by taking a lavish vacation without paying for it and failing to disclose it.
2018
Trudeau was accused of engaging in immoral activities with a journalist in 2000, but he denied the allegations.
2019
A federal ethics commissioner said in an order that Trudeau had tried to deceive, defame, and discredit his former justice minister and attorney general in a case against Montreal-based multinational engineering and construction company SNC-Lavalin. It added another stain to his image. He was re-elected this year. But his Liberal Party lost its majority.
2020
Justin Trudeau went into isolation himself when his wife, Sophie Gregory Trudeau, tested positive for the virus during the coronavirus outbreak. They are now separated. He imposed various restrictions during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
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| A speech praising his father at a memorial service in 2000 hints at Trudeau's own political ambitions | Photo: Reuters |
Despite relatively good public support this year, Trudeau called an early election. He said he wanted to build a strong party base to lead Canada through the COVID-19 and economic crises. He later narrowly won the election. But his party failed to win a majority this time as well.
2022
Protests over the coronavirus vaccine brought the capital Ottawa and several border crossings to a standstill. Trudeau declared a state of emergency to maintain public order. He allowed authorities to take strict measures to establish order. Gatherings were banned, and travel restrictions were imposed. The move sparked anger among conservatives. Meanwhile, rising rents and inflationary pressures were causing frustration among people of all political stripes.
2023
In an interview with The New York Times this year, Trudeau said, "His people are angry. This anger is messing everything up. We need to be polite. But people are crazy. At the same time that he is facing the anger of his countrymen over rising rents and unemployment, he is also involved in a dispute with India."
2024
Trudeau's grip on power was further weakened in September when the left-wing New Democratic Party denied the Liberals the support they needed to pass legislation. The following month, Trudeau announced that he was tightening Canada's immigration policy and taking restrictive measures in health care and other services, steps that underscored that his policies were not working.
The sudden resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in December was a major blow to the Trudeau government. Chrystia was one of Trudeau's closest cabinet aides and had fallen out with Trudeau after opposing his spending proposals.
Freeland's resignation letter accused Trudeau of resorting to "political maneuvering" instead of focusing on doing something good for the country.
2025
Pressure on Trudeau to resign, both from the opposition and from within his own party, began to mount. He finally announced his resignation yesterday.