She held the helm throughout the pandemic, but also during the Christchurch attacks. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on Thursday after more than five years in office. “It’s time for me,” she said at a Labor Party meeting. “I just don’t have enough energy for another four years,” she added.
She said her resignation would take effect no later than February 7 and that the Labor Group would vote on the appointment of a new leader in three days.
Fall in the polls
Jacinda Ardern, 42, became the country’s youngest prime minister in a coalition government in 2017 before leading the centre-left Labor Party to an outright majority in the next election three years later. She has seen her party and personal popularity plummet in recent polls as new elections are due to be held this year.
In her first public appearance since Parliament’s summer recess began a month ago, Ardern said she had hoped to use the recess to find the energy to continue governing. “But I couldn’t,” she admitted.
Legislation on October 14
She announced that the next elections will take place on October 14 and that she will continue to exercise her mandate as an MP until then. “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.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson immediately announced that he would not run for his successor. The outgoing prime minister assured that there was no secret reason for her resignation. “I’m human. We give as much as we can while we can, and then it’s time. And for me, that moment has come,” said Ardern. “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 when you’re not.