Justin Trudeau called an early election for September 20

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has officially called this Sunday early elections for September 20, after the rumors that have circulated in recent weeks on this possibility and in full major approval of its exit from the pandemic.

“We believe that the most important responsibility of a government is ensuring the security and prosperity of CanadiansTrudeau said as he left the meeting with Governor General Mary Simon, representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada, to request the dissolution of Parliament.

“We are living in a historic moment and you have something to say about it. They have the right to choose the future of our country, either to continue our vaccination efforts or to continue our support programs, ”continued Trudeau.

After months of speculation, Canada will finally hold an election next month, at a time when Trudeau’s Liberal Party is far enough ahead to regain a majority in Parliament, polls show the Prime Minister 30% support.

It is expected that in the five campaign weeks that await us before the appointment with the ballot box, Trudeau calls on Canadians for a vote to continue fighting coronavirus and speed up vaccination plan. “We stood behind him and now is the time to hear his voice,” Trudeau said. “Canadians must choose how we end the fight against COVID-19. “

The election comes as Canada experiences a new wave of COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant of the coronavirus.

According to a recent Nanos Research poll for the Bloomberg agency, half of Canadians approve of the Liberals’ handling of the pandemic.

The poll also shows that nearly three in four Canadians believe their finances are better or not worse than two years ago. This matches other polls showing increased consumer and business confidence as the vaccination plan progresses.

Since losing his majority in the 2019 election, Trudeau has needed the help of other parties to pass new laws through Parliament, giving the opposition leeway to shape part of its platform. Politics. However, its pandemic relief policies received broad support from all opposition forces.

Trudeau is no longer as popular as it used to be, but the handling of the pandemic by his reign was widely regarded as a success. After a slow start, Canada now has enough vaccines for every citizen. Over 71% of eligible Canadians are fully immunized and over 82% have received at least one dose. The government has spent billions to support the economy amid the lockdowns that have now been lifted.

But if the result is another minority government, the “knives will start to come out,” said Robert Bothwell, professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto.

“Trudeau is not very popular. That’s what the Liberals have, so they’ll be left behind, but if they lose it’s a toast. “Bothwell said.

“It’s not unpopular, but there’s no affection there. The Liberals behave like he’s that beloved figure, but he’s not. The novelty is gone. But there’s still enough of it and the performance in COVID was pretty strong, so I think people will balance these things out ahead of the election and vote for Trudeau. “

Trudeau, son of the late Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, became the second youngest prime minister in Canadian history when he was first elected with a majority of seats in Parliament in 2015. The Liberal victory ended almost 10 years of Conservative rule in Canada. , but scandals combined with high expectations damaged Trudeau’s position.

His father was Prime Minister from 1968 to 1984 with a brief hiatus.

Left-wing opposition New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said he was “Selfish” for Trudeau to call an election in the event of a pandemic. Ontario, Canada’s largest province, has reported more than 500 cases for the fourth day in a row.

Nelson Wiseman, professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said many Canadians will resent having an election they deem unnecessary, but the Liberals will win the most seats.

“Trudeau is considered to have delivered vaccines and there has been broad support for government employment and income support programs to counter the economic consequences of COVID,” Wiseman said.

Canadians compare their situation to that of the United States. The current increase in the United States is contributing to conceited complacency among Canadians. This sentiment benefits the Liberals today. “

(with information from EP and AP)

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