Revelations that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to resign have sparked feverish speculation about who could replace him.
Trudeau, 53, could resign as soon as Monday, raising questions about who would take over the ruling Liberal Party and whether power could shift to the Conservatives in elections due in late October.
In the Canadian political system, the Prime Minister is not directly elected, but chosen by the members of the majority party in Parliament – currently the Left Liberals.
The likely successors therefore include everyone from Trudeau’s ex-finance chief Chrystia Freeland, to Mark Carney, a banking boss, and Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the opposition Conservatives.
The political battle comes as newly-elected US President Donald Trump returns to the White House, threatening massive tariffs on his northern neighbor and even suggesting Canada could become America’s 51st state.
Trudeau’s departure after nine years as president would leave the party without a permanent head, at a time when polls show the Liberals will lose badly to the Conservatives in the 2025 election.
Sources told the Globe and Mail newspaper that they were unsure when Trudeau would announce his plans to leave, but said they expected it would happen before an emergency meeting of Liberal lawmakers on Wednesday.
A growing number of Liberal lawmakers, alarmed by a series of dismal polls, have publicly called on Trudeau to quit.
It is not clear whether Trudeau will leave immediately or remain as prime minister until a new Liberal leader is elected.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his then ally Chrystia Freeland
Chrystia Freeland sensationally resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet last month
His resignation would fuel calls for snap elections to form a stable government to face the incoming Trump administration.
DailyMail.com takes a look at the contenders for Canada’s top job.
Chrystia Vrijland
Canada’s former finance minister and deputy prime minister, Freeland, was one of Truedua’s key political allies until she recently resigned from the cabinet of her increasingly controversial and unpopular boss.
She opposed Trudeau’s proposals for more spending, accusing him in a letter of “political trickery” instead of focusing on what was best for the country of 40 million people.
Freeland, a former journalist, is a major figure in Canadian politics and is hailed as one of the few people who could save the Liberals from a massive looming electoral defeat.
The married mother of three from Alberta speaks five languages and studied at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre has led the Conservatives since 2022
Poilievre has led the Conservatives since 2022 and is a leading candidate to replace Trudeau if voters remove the Liberals from office in this year’s election.
He is campaigning for more oil and gas production and against Trudeau’s failed immigration policies, which led to hundreds of thousands of arrivals, putting pressure on an already overheated housing market.
Polymarket, an online gambling site, has given Poilievre a 92 percent chance of winning in Canada’s upcoming election.
Poilievre says he could increase Canadian exports to the U.S. and strike a “good deal” with Trump, who has vowed to use punitive tariffs on Ottawa as a way to reduce a trade deficit.
Speaking to right-wing Canadian influencer Jordan Peterson this month, Poilievre said he would quickly greenlight new oil refineries, liquefied natural gas facilities, nuclear facilities and hydroelectric power stations.
In the interview, he said Trump “negotiates very aggressively and likes to win, but ultimately he doesn’t seem to have a problem with his opponent winning too.”
“And so I think we can achieve a lot that will make both countries safer, richer and stronger,” he added.
Dominic LeBlanc
Dominic LeBlanc, 57, is a close ally of Trudeau and has held a number of key cabinet positions
Veteran Liberal politician Dominic LeBlanc is a close ally of Trudeau and was appointed minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs to replace Freeland, who resigned abruptly last month.
The 57-year-old is a close friend and ally of Trudeau and has held a number of key cabinet positions since the prime minister came to power in 2015.
According to reports, Trudeau has already discussed with LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister.
But that plan was deemed unworkable if LeBlanc wants to run for leadership, the source said.
Mark Carney
Thanks to his background in global banking, Carney is seen as an asset to Canada
Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, is positioning himself to participate in a potential battle for the leadership of the Liberal Party if Trudeau steps down.
He has long been touted as a potential leader for Canada. In recent days, he has reportedly made dozens of calls to Liberal politicians who see him as a potential replacement for Trudeau.
His background in banking and the financial sector is seen as an asset for a country that could soon wage a tariff war with Trump’s America.
The 59-year-old studied at the University of Oxford and Harvard and previously worked at Goldman Sachs.
Carney serves in a number of philanthropic and business roles, including as chairman of Brookfield Asset Management and Bloomberg Inc.