Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, declared on Thursday that she would step down in a month.
She said, “For me, it’s time,” in front of Labour Party members. Simply put, I don’t have enough fuel left for four more years.
Recent polls show a decline in Ardern’s popularity as well as that of her party and herself. Ardern was appointed prime minister in a coalition government in 2017 and then led her center-left Labour Party to a resounding victory in an election three years later.
She stated at Labour’s annual caucus retreat that she had hoped to find the energy to continue as leader during the break, “but I have not been able to do that,” in her first public appearance since the start of the summer recess in parliament a month ago.
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Ardern stated that she would continue to serve as an electorate MP until the upcoming general election, which will take place on Saturday, October 14.
“I am not leaving because I believe we cannot win the next election,” she explained.
Ardern stated that her resignation would take effect on February 7, and that the Labour caucus would vote on a new leader on January 22.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson has stated that he will not be running.
Wow. This quote from Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: ‘Hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused…that you can be your own kind of leader, one who knows when it’s time to go’..
pic.twitter.com/gsBc09qij3— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 19, 2023
At the age of 37, she became the country’s youngest prime minister since 1856 and a global symbol of progressive politics.
Ardern won a landslide second term in 2020, but her popularity has dipped as she grapples with declining trust in government, a worsening economic situation, and a resurgent conservative opposition.
The stress has been evident in recent months — Ardern showing a rare absence of composure when she was unintentionally caught on microphone calling an opposition politician a “arrogant prick”.
