For months, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been asked variations of the same question: “Will you resign?”

But despite pledging to stay on as leader of the Liberal Party – despite growing frustration among voters and a political rival rising in the polls – even the self-proclaimed “fighter” failed to answer the growing chorus of members of his own party calling on him to do so. don’t stand up, resign.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and I have realized that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in this election,” Trudeau acknowledged Monday, announcing his resignation before Rideau Cottage, his official residence for most of the last decade.

He will remain prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is elected. The date is still being determined by the party.

Trudeau called for Parliament to be adjourned – or suspended – until March 24 to give the party time to find a new leader.

Trudeau came to power nearly a decade ago and was seen as a fresh face of progressive politics.

In 2015, voters, influenced by his youthful charisma and a hopeful political message, catapulted the Liberals from a third-place party to a majority of seats in Parliament – ​​an unprecedented example in Canadian political history.

Now he remains the only leader among his peers who remained when he took office, from Barack Obama to Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe and David Cameron, and at 53, he is currently the longest-serving leader of the G7.

But in the years since his rise to the world stage and two general elections, Trudeau and his brand have become a drain on the party’s fortunes.

Paul Wells, a Canadian political journalist and author of Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, recently told the BBC that he believes Trudeau will be remembered as a “consistent” prime minister, particularly for his leadership on issues such as Indigenous reconciliation and to some extent have taken a real leadership role in climate policy.

But he was also someone “who felt increasingly distant from public opinion and increasingly unable to adapt to changing times.”

On Monday, Trudeau was quick to highlight what he was proud of in office, including navigating the turbulent Covid pandemic, renegotiating a free trade deal with the last Trump administration and introducing a child benefit that is widely seen as helping fight poverty.

But a series of ethics scandals began to take the shine off the new administration early on – he was found to have violated federal conflict of interest rules in his handling of a corruption investigation – the SNC-Lavalin affair – and for luxury trips to the Bahamas.

In 2020, he faced scrutiny for choosing a charity with ties to his family to manage a major government program.

In a 2019 general election, his party was reduced to minority status, meaning the Liberals had to rely on support from other parties to stay in power.

An early election in 2021 did not improve their fate.

More recently, Trudeau has faced headwinds from rising living costs and inflation, which have contributed to electoral unrest around the world.

There was also frustration in the country over the apparent difficulty of keeping big promises – an agenda that was “overcrowded and overstuffed”, Mr Wells said – and over his handling of issues such as immigration.

Late last year, the Liberals backed down on their ambitious immigration goals amid fears the issue had been mishandled, significantly reducing the number of new arrivals allowed into Canada.

He also sometimes gave his opponents easy political victories, including when it came to light that he had worn a black and brown face before taking office.

After more than nine years in power, he is among Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers and there is a general sense of fatigue and frustration with his government.

So the writing was on the wall.

A series of political setbacks made it clear that Trudeau’s days were numbered.

Over the summer, voters rejected Liberal candidates in some special elections for once-safe Liberal seats, leading to internal party unrest.

He had become an increasingly polarizing figure for the electorate – Trudeau said on Monday: “It’s time for a reset” and for the “temperature to drop” in Canadian politics.

Andrew Perez, director at Perez Strategies, said it will now be a challenge for the Liberals to distance themselves from the Trudeau brand.

“That was an important aspect of their success – but that worked until it failed,” the Liberal strategist told the BBC.

Public opinion polls for the Liberals had hit new lows in recent weeks, and attempts to change course with cabinet reshuffles and tax cuts were unsuccessful.

A poll conducted over the holidays by the Angus Reid Institute suggested the party had its lowest level of support in 2014.

Polls suggest the Conservatives – led by Pierre Poilievre, a 45-year-old career politician with a talent for a sharp campaign slogan – would easily win an election today.

The next election must take place by October, although both Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, have said they will try to send Canadians to the polls once Parliament returns in March.

The political instability comes as the country faces a number of challenges – not least a promise by US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.

Still, Trudeau seemed determined to persevere until the end, citing his desire to run against Poilievre – his ideological opposite – in the polls.

But the shocking resignation of Trudeau’s top deputy, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, in mid-December – citing his apparent failure to take Trump’s threats seriously – proved to be the final straw.

Members of his own party made it clear publicly that they no longer supported his leadership.

And with that the last domino fell.