Trudeau’s political breath is faltering
The Liberal Party of Canada experienced a new and very significant failure, losing in a crucial by-election in Montreal.
This election, which had widespread campaigning, was depicted as a barometer of current Canadian politics. The situation of Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister and leader of the Liberals, was already very precarious, and with this defeat, it has worsened. Although this loss was by less than one percent, the election became so sensitive and captivating that over 90 candidates registered, creating the largest and longest ballot in Canadian history.
The next Canadian election is legally scheduled to be held in October next year, but for a long time, economic and livelihood crises and consecutive political failures have pushed the Liberals back in the polls, destabilizing Trudeau’s government.
One of the most important signs of this instability, which actually marks the beginning of a new crisis period, is the termination of the New Democratic Party’s agreement with the Liberals in governing.
One of the fundamental bases for the formation of the government by the Liberals, who do not hold a parliamentary majority, has been the cooperation of that party.
The recent by-elections became a ground for numerous political challenges and discussions in Canada, and specifically, the government’s policy towards Gaza was added to the electoral issues.
The official protest of dozens of important government officials to Trudeau and their request for him to condemn the Israeli government fueled political tensions.
Trudeau, who has been facing numerous criticisms and tensions within his own party for a long time, must also endure this challenge.
Trudeau has long been aware of the fragility of his position.
Many Liberals believe that his current unpopularity should lead him to the conclusion that, like Joe Biden, he should step aside so that new leadership can come forward for the party and lead the Liberals in the next election.
With awareness of this critical situation, Trudeau has officially announced that he intends to remain in party leadership for the next election and continue the fight.
At the party conference, he worked to strengthen his position and unify the party, and even spent the summer in face-to-face discussions with party representatives in parliament. The Trudeaus are an important political family in Canada, and Justin Trudeau, who has been the Prime Minister since 2015, has promoted many current representatives and politicians, and they owe him.
It is unlikely that the ground under his feet will be easily swept away, but there is no doubt that his political breath is faltering.