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Justin Trudeau has called a news conference for Monday morning as speculation grows that he will step down as Canada’s prime minister after nearly a decade in power.

Trudeau’s popularity is at a historic low after voters and members of his own party turned against him after a turbulent period of speculation about his ability to lead the G7 nation.

Canadian media, including national broadcaster CBC, reported that he was ready to step down. His resignation will trigger a race for the leadership of his Liberal party before a general election that should be held before October this year but could be earlier.

The New Democratic party (NDP) – a key ally in parliament – announced before Christmas that it was no longer supporting the minority Liberal government.

Opposition parties, including the NDP, have also said they are prepared to pass a motion of no confidence in the Commons, which could also prompt an early election.

Pierre Poilievre, whose Conservative party leads the Liberals by 25 points in the polls, has repeatedly called Trudeau to step down or call early elections, citing Canada’s impending challenges with incoming US President Donald Trump.

Trump has repeatedly mocked Trudeau, calling him the governor of the 51st US state, fueling calls for the prime minister to resign.

Ottawa-born Trudeau, the son of charismatic Liberal leader Pierre Trudeau, who was prime minister between 1968 and 1979, and from 1980 to 1984, worked as a school drama teacher in Vancouver before being elected leader of Liberal party in April 2013.

His tenure as prime minister began in October 2015 when the young newcomer led his Liberal party to a resounding victory over the Conservatives and their unpopular leader, Stephen Harper.

During his time in office, Trudeau passed laws to decriminalize soft drugs, advance gender equality and promote First Nations reconciliation as well as the urgent need to address change. in the climate. He also promised to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees who fled the war in their homeland, despite concerns about the level of immigration.

But Trudeau’s popularity plummeted last year due to rising living costs and a housing affordability crisis. His efforts to boost Canada’s post-pandemic economy by recording immigration also faced a widespread backlash.

An Angus Reid poll which was released on December 30 showed that the percentage of voters intending to vote for the Liberal party fell to 16 percent, the worst level since Trudeau came to power, while the disapproval of the prime minister, by “pollster’s”Trudeau Trackr”, is at an all-time high of 74 percent.

The sudden resignation on December 16 of Chrystia Freeland, the former finance minister who was once a close ally of the prime minister, following Trudeau’s disputes over government spending, has sparked new calls for her to step down. quit from the opposition and his own party.

After Freeland’s move, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said on Dec. 20 that his party was considering withdrawing its support from Trudeau or the Liberal party. Singh has promised that his party’s voting bloc will consider toppling the government when parliament resumes at the end of January, potentially leading to an early election.