Canada Plunges into Political Crisis

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland (pictured) has resigned, saying she “no longer has the confidence of Justin Trudeau.” There is a risk of a major political crisis: Trudeau’s popularity is at an all-time low, the criticized prime minister has lost the support of previously supportive political forces, and even some members of his own party are calling for his resignation. According to Canadian media, in this situation, the election scheduled for October 2025 may be moved to an earlier date.

Freeland, one of the leaders of the Canadian Liberal Party, just as Trudeau, resigned shortly before the presentation of Canada’s preliminary economic results – very disappointing – which revealed a government budget deficit much larger than expected: nearly 62 billion Canadian dollars (about $43.4 billion) against a forecast of 40 billion ($28 billion).

Trudeau has been in power for nine years, and in recent months he has lost the support of some Liberals concerned about, among other things, rising housing costs, especially in major cities. In addition, the continuing rise in unemployment rate, which has reached 6.8 percent at the end of 2024, is also a cause for concern. Opposition political parties and Canadian voters have blamed the rising unemployment rate on migration policies, promoted by the Trudeau government, that have led to masses of foreign workers entering the country.

Finally, in a letter published on X social network (formerly Twitter), Freeland mentioned, among other things, “the serious challenge that awaits Canada with the future presidency of Donald Trump in the United States, who has already promised new duties on China, Mexico, as well as Canada.”