TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced the most difficult test of his political career when Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, long one of his most influential and devoted colleagues, resigned from the Cabinet on Monday. The surprise move sparked questions about how long the prime minister of nearly a decade, whose popularity has plunged owing to concerns about inflation and immigration, can stay in office as his administration prepares to negotiate with incoming US President-elect Donald Trump. “The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau,” Trump wrote in a Facebook post. “Her behaviour was utterly toxic, and not at all helpful to forging arrangements that are good for the really unhappy inhabitants of Canada she will not be missed

Trump previously insulted Trudeau by referring to Canada as a state. And during his first time in office, when he renegotiated the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, Trump said Freeland was disliked. Trudeau quickly replaced Freeland with longstanding supporter and personal friend Dominic LeBlanc, the public safety minister who recently accompanied him for dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Freeland did not make the trip.

After being sworn in, LeBlanc told reporters that he and Trudeau are focusing on the cost of living for Canadians, as well as finding common ground with Trump on border security and economic matters. “It’s not been an easy day,” Trudeau later told a gathering of party supporters. He described it as one of his party’s “toughest days,” but did not specify what he intended to do. Trudeau faces calls to quit.Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, which Trudeau’s ruling Liberals have relied on to maintain power, called for his resignation earlier Monday. “He has to go,” said NDP leader Singh. The main opposition Conservatives have not called for Trudeau’s resignation, but rather an election. But a no-confidence vote in the government is not imminent with Parliament about to break for the holidays .

Freeland, who was also deputy prime minister, said Trudeau told her on Friday that he no longer wanted her as finance minister and offered her another position in the Cabinet. However, she stated in her resignation letter that the only “honest and viable path” was to leave the Cabinet. “For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” Freeland told reporters. Freeland warns against ‘costly political gimmicks’Freeland and Trudeau disagreed on a two-month sales tax holiday and $250 Canadian dollar ($175) payments for Canadians that were recently announced. Freeland stated that Canada is grappling with Trump’s threat to slap sweeping 25% tariffs and should avoid “costly political gimmicks” that it can “ill afford.”

Will Trudeau survive?Trudeau has stated that he intends to lead the Liberal Party into the next election, but many party members have expressed their opposition to him running for a fourth term, and Freeland’s resignation was a major setback. Trudeau met with his lawmakers on Monday evening. Later, most of them pushed past reporters, refusing to discuss what happened at the meeting. Liberal MP Chad Collins claimed they were “not united.” “A number of our members continue to want a change in leadership. “I’m one of them,” he explained. “I think the only path forward for us is to choose a new leader.” For more than a century, no Canadian prime leader has won four consecutive terms.

The federal election must be held before October. Because they do not have a clear majority in Parliament, the Liberals must rely on the backing of at least one other significant party. If the NDP withdraws support, an election may be held at any moment.

Singh stated that all alternatives are on the table. Trudeau channelled his father’s popularity.In 2015, Trudeau used the star power of his father, late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, to reaffirm the country’s liberal character after nearly a decade of Conservative Party control. However, Canadians are now frustrated by growing living costs and other challenges, such as immigration increases following the country’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin Trudeau’s legacy includes liberalizing immigration policies. He also legalized cannabis and implemented a carbon fee to combat climate change.

Freeland also stated in her letter that Canadians “know when we are working for them, and they also know when we are focused on ourselves.” Eventually, our time in government will come to an end. Trudeau attempts to bring in another Cabinet member.Separately, Trudeau has attempted to persuade Mark Carney, the former head of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, to join his ministry. Carney has always wanted to enter politics and lead the Liberal Party. LeBlanc’s nomination to finance indicates that this will not happen.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, called Freeland’s resignation a political earthquake.”This is clearly a minority government on life support but, until now, the (opposition) NDP has rejected calls to pull the plug on it,” Béland said. “It’s hard to know whether this resignation will force the NDP to rethink its strategy.”