There have been times in Justin Trudeau’s near-decade as Canada’s prime minister when he seemed unassailable, an ever-present of global liberal politics just as populism-fuelled chaos was engulfing other progressive leaders around the world. But on Monday, Trudeau effectively brought his own era to an abrupt end.
Deeply unpopular with voters at home – as well as his own Liberal party politicians – and openly mocked by US president-elect Donald Trump, Trudeau laid out his intention to step down as party leader, choosing to jump from office before he was pushed. A general election in the coming months now seems certain, with the Conservative party looking likely to return to power after a long hiatus.
For our cover story this week, Ashifa Kassam, Leyland Cecco and Oliver Holmes ask where it all went wrong for Trudeau, how his grand hopes of change for Canada never quite materialised – and what the country can expect next.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
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The big story | Rising political violence in the US
After a horrif ic start to 2025, America is facing the biggest rise in terror threats since the 1970s. Ed Pilkington and Ben Makuch consider the wider picture -
Environment | The longevity of great whales
Researchers have found that industrial hunting of these huge beasts has masked their ability to survive for centuries. Philip Hoare reports -
Feature | Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s how to fix it
Modern life is exhausting. Guardian writers and readers share advice about navigating the everyday pressures we all face -
Opinion | Lessons from Jimmy Carter’s life well lived
Dismissed as a loser at the time, the former US president left behind an enduring legacy – a message we can heed today, writes Jonathan Freedland -
Culture | The best TV to look out for in 2025
From time-travelling plague victims to Matt Smith as a Lothario widower, here’s a guide to the small-screen highlights from the year to come
What else we’ve been reading
Amid the slew of new year, new you articles this radical lifestyle change piece really stood out. Chef Mike Keen’s odyssey kayaking around Greenland and sticking to a traditional Inuit diet of fish and seal or whale stew was a great science story with some amazing pictures. Isobel Montgomery, deputy editor
Other highlights from the Guardian website
Audio | The month that changed South Korea for ever – podcast
Video | The ‘new China’ in Thailand: ‘if you want hope, you have to leave’
Gallery | Justin Trudeau’s life in politics
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