Justin Trudea has announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister of Canada. 

Mr Trudeau, who has led the world’s second largest country for nearly a decade, said he made his decision after discussing it with his family. 

In December, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned, citing difference between herself and Mr Trudeau on how best to deal with the tariffs Donald Trump has pledged to impose on Canadian goods imported into the US.

Justin Trudeau in Brussels, Belgium. Picture by: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Her resignated weakened an already embattled Trudeau who populalrity had been on the wane for some time.

Like Ireland, Canada has endured several years of high inflation and surging housing costs.

As a result, the opposition Conservative Party now enjoys a commanding lead in opinion polls and pundits were confidently predicting Mr Trudeau's Liberal Party would lose the next election.

In his resignation speech, Mr Trudea said it was "time for a reset" in Canadian politics and said he was "excited" to see who would replace him as leader of the Liberal Party.

Main image: Justin Trudeau. Picture by: Alamy.com