The unexpected resignation this Monday of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, has plunged the country into confusion and, apparently, the Government of Justin Trudeau itself.
Five hours after the resignation, due to political differences with the prime minister, Justin Trudeau was meeting with his cabinet to discuss the crisis.
The resignation of Freeland, who for years had been Trudeau’s right-hand man, sparked all kinds of speculation in Ottawa about the president’s immediate future and the possible calling of early elections.
The hours of silence by Trudeau and other members of the Government, who learned of Freeland’s decision at the same time that the former minister published her letter on social media, added a dose of chaos to the political crisis.
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To complicate the situation, Freeland was scheduled to present the autumn economic declaration in Parliament this Monday, a document that is always important but that this time is considered key because it contains measures to face the arrival of Republican Donald Trump to the White House in January. .
Precisely in her resignation letter, Freeland cited the political differences that arose with the prime minister as a result of Trump’s electoral victory in the United States and his rejection of some economic decisions announced by the Government and that seem designed to improve the battered public image of Trudeau.
“We need to take the threat (of Trump tariffs) extremely seriously. This means right now keeping our fiscal powder dry to have the reserves we may need for the next tariff war. “That means avoiding costly political pantomimes,” he explained.
“This conviction has guided my efforts this fall to manage our spending in a way that gives us the flexibility we need to meet the serious challenges presented by the United States,” he added.
Freeland was referring to the US president-elect’s threat on November 25 to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico until the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants across the borders stops.
The tariffs have been described as “devastating” by Trudeau himself and could cause an economic recession in the country.
Opposition calls for early elections
Freeland’s resignation and denunciation were quickly taken advantage of by the opposition leader, the conservative Pierre Poilievre, who denounced the “chaos” of the Government and requested imminent early elections.
Poilievre’s request comes when his Conservative Party has a 20-point advantage over Trudeau’s Liberal Party in voting intention.
The same polls indicate that if elections are held now, the sovereigntist Bloc Quebecois (BQ) would become the leader of the opposition and that liberals and social democrats would be relegated to third and fourth place in Parliament.
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Precisely the leader of the BQ, Yves-Francois Blanchet, declared this Monday that “the Trudeau Government is finished.”
At least three of the 153 Liberal MPs have called for Trudeau to resign following Freeland’s departure.
Trudeau’s popularity drops
Trudeau already faced another internal revolt in October when nearly twenty deputies signed a letter requesting his departure due to poor electoral prospects.
High inflation, the sharp rise in housing prices and the worsening of social services, which many associate with the high levels of immigration promoted for years by the Canadian Government, have caused its popularity to decline.
Trudeau was able to deactivate the rebellion in October and assured that he would run for re-election in the next general elections, which are scheduled for October 20, 2025.
With information from EFE
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