Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau increasingly announces his intention to resign, although he has not made a final decision, a source told Reuters. It is expected to happen before an emergency meeting of Liberal Party lawmakers on Wednesday.
Media reports suggest that Trudeau will announce his departure as leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, which he has led for nine years, as early as today.
Trudeau's departure will leave the party without a permanent leader at a time when, according to polls, the Liberals are set to lose significantly to the Conservatives in elections due by the end of October, the agency writes.
An increasing number of Liberal parliamentarians, alarmed by a series of grim polls, are publicly urging Trudeau to step down.
The calls intensified in December when Trudeau attempted to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she opposed his spending proposals. Freeland resigned and wrote a letter accusing Trudeau of "political tricks" instead of focusing on what is best for the country.
Trudeau became the Liberal leader in 2013 when the party was in deep decline and had fallen to third place in the House of Commons for the first time.
If he resigns, it is likely to trigger new calls for early elections to form a stable government capable of handling the pressure from President-elect Donald Trump's administration over the next four years.
Photo: Reuters