(Wellington) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on Thursday, claiming to have “no longer enough energy” to continue to govern after five and a half years in power and nine months before the legislative elections.
“I am human. We give as much as we can and for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, that moment has arrived,” said M.me Ardern at a meeting of his Labor Party.
“I just don’t have enough energy for another four years,” she added.
Jacinda Ardern, 42, became prime minister in a coalition government in 2017, before leading the centre-left Labor Party to a landslide victory in the next election three years later.
During her tenure, she faced the COVID-19 pandemic, a deadly volcanic eruption and the country’s worst ever bombing, the killing of 51 Muslim worshipers at a Christchurch mosque by a white supremacist in 2019.
After long enjoying record approval ratings, sometimes even dubbed “Jacindamania”, she has recently seen her party and her personal popularity ratings plummet in the polls as the economic situation deteriorates and the opposition of the right regains strength.
Elections on October 14
Last month, the stress of Mme Ardern was obvious when she was unwittingly caught on the microphone calling an opposition official an “arrogant asshole”.
In his first public appearance since Parliament began its summer recess a month ago, Mme Ardern explained Thursday that she had hoped to use this break to find the energy to continue to govern.
“But I wasn’t able to do that,” she admitted.
She announced that the next elections will be held on October 14, and that until then she will continue to exercise her mandate as a deputy.
Recent polls give the advantage, for this election, to a centre-right coalition to the detriment of the Labor Party. Butme Ardern assured that this is not the reason for his departure.
“I’m not leaving because I believe we can’t win the next election, but because I believe we can and we will,” she said.
She indicated her resignation would take effect no later than February 7, and the Labor caucus would vote to appoint a new leader in three days.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson immediately announced that he would not be a candidate for the succession of Mr.me Ardern.
The outgoing Prime Minister assured that there was no secret reason behind her resignation. “I’m leaving because such a privileged position comes with great responsibility. The responsibility of knowing when you’re the right person to lead, and also when you’re not,” she said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese greeted in Mme Ardern a head of government who has “shown the world how to lead with intelligence and with strength”.