Involved in a serious political crisis, Mr Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau continues to lose supporters in his own Liberal Party, where defections are multiplying, Canadian media reported yesterday, while federal parliamentary elections are expected to be held no later than October 2025.

Mr. Trudeau suffered a series of blows after the surprise mid-month resignation of his administration’s vice president, amid disagreements over how to deal with a trade war that has become increasingly clear as the Donald Trump returns on January 20 to the White House.

The Republican intends to move forward with a 25% tariff on Canadian exports to his country; and Chrystia Freeland, who was also finance minister, slammed the door because of her disagreements with Prime Minister Trudeau on the issue.

Liberal MP Chandra Arias told the public Canadian television network CBC yesterday that he and dozens of his colleagues now want the prime minister out of office, as the faction is now in the minority in parliament.

Canadian media reported that more than 50 of the 75 Liberal MPs from Ontario — the state of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, and Toronto — on Saturday withdrew their support for Mr. Trudeau during a meeting to consider his future.

Asked about this press information, Mr. Aria replied that “the majority of the parliamentary group considers that it is time for the prime minister to retire”.

“We will find ourselves in an impossible situation if it remains,” said Quebec MP Anthony Hausfader, also speaking to the CBC.

Justin Trudeau, in power for the past nine years, for his part on Friday moved ahead with a broad reshuffle of his government, changing the faces that occupy about a third of the ranks of his cabinet, without referring to intra-party tensions.

However, he has begun to reconsider his future, although he had announced that he would be a candidate again in the federal elections, which will be held in October at the latest.

Jagmeet Singh, head of the New Democratic Party (NPD), once an ally of Mr. Trudeau has made it clear that he no longer supports the government.

Against this ominous backdrop, the Canadian prime minister, who led his party to two electoral victories in 2019 and 2021, is 20 points behind his conservative rival Pierre Poillievre, based on recent polls.

Mr. Poillievre, for his part, has made no secret that he wants a vote before the end of the year on a proposal to trigger the calling of early elections, even though parliament is not expected to reconvene until January 27.