The Canada Trudeau left behind and why he faces criticism
Friday, 14 March 2025, marked Justin Trudeau's last working day as Prime Minister of Canada.
After more than nine years in office (November 2015 – March 2025), one of the longest premierships in Canadian history, Trudeau leaves behind a complex legacy, one that will take time for society to reach a consensus on.
Read more understand the key moments of Justin Trudeau’s tenure as Canada’s prime minister in read the article by Dmytro Sherengovsky, Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University – The controversial Trudeau: what the former Canadian PM achieved and whether his support for Ukraine was sufficient.
Trudeau began his tenure with a strong mandate. His Liberal Party’s victory in 2015 was fueled by a wave of optimism. During his first two years, he maintained high public support, with around 60% of Canadians approving of his performance in 2016–2017.
For a long time, he was seen as a fresh force in Canadian politics, a young and charismatic leader following nine years of rule by Stephen Harper, who was 55 at the time.
One of the hallmarks of Trudeau's government was a commitment to diversity. He actively defended LGBTQ+ rights, issued official apologies for historical injustices against Indigenous peoples, and welcomed tens of thousands of refugees.
However, by 2019, Trudeau's image had begun to fade due to unfulfilled promises, such as the lack of electoral reform, ethical scandals like the SNC-Lavalin affair, where he improperly pressured the attorney general, and growing regional dissatisfaction, particularly in Western Canada over pipeline policies.
These issues led to a decline in his approval rating to 40–45%. In the October 2019 elections, the Liberals lost their parliamentary majority, securing only 33% of the vote (down from 39% in 2015), forcing them to form a minority government.
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily revived Trudeau’s approval ratings.
The Liberals managed to secure re-election in 2021, but again with only a relative majority (around 32% of the vote) and another minority government, essentially repeating their 2019 results.
By late 2024, about two-thirds of Canadians in polls expressed that it was "time for a change" in government. By 2025, Trudeau had become a deeply polarising figure, admired by some for his progressive values but resented by others as a symbol of Ottawa’s elite politics.
One of Trudeau’s key international achievements was preventing the collapse of North American trade.
To achieve this, he had to make concessions to the US during Donald Trump’s first presidency, such as partially opening Canada’s protected dairy market to American farmers, but he managed to preserve Canada’s access to its largest export market.
After February 2022, Trudeau became one of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s most vocal supporters on the global stage. He repeatedly framed the war as a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, stating: "Your fight is our fight."
Despite Canada's significant support for Ukraine, for which Ukrainians remain grateful, the country could have done more.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Trudeau’s legacy will be his economic policies.
For example, in 2025, Canada’s unemployment rate remains nearly unchanged from 2015 levels.
Trudeau’s tenure was marked by an active government spending approach and rising budget deficits. He moved away from his predecessor’s austerity policies and allowed annual deficits, arguing that they were necessary to stimulate growth.
Under his leadership, Canada’s national debt nearly doubled, from $701 billion to approximately $1.35 trillion, largely due to pandemic-related expenditures.
Despite major investments, critics argue that Trudeau’s policies failed to create lasting economic breakthroughs.
Compared to the United States, Canada lost competitiveness.