The stunning move raised questions about how much longer the prime minister of nearly 10 years — whose popularity has plummeted due to concerns about inflation and immigration — can stay on.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration was thrown into crisis when his trusted deputy, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, published a withering resignation letter on Monday that left him weakened at the worst possible time.

Chrystia Freeland said she was quitting in the wake of a meeting last Friday with Trudeau, who asked her to take on a lesser post after the two had been arguing for weeks over spending.