New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced her resignation on Thursday January 19, surprising her country by making sure she had done so. “Not enough energy” To continue ruling after five and a half years in power and nine months of legislative elections.
“I’m human. We give everything we can and for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.”Ms Ardern said at a meeting of the Labor Party.
“I don’t have enough energy for another four years.”She added, explaining that she will leave her post on February 7.
Jacinda Ardern, 42, became prime minister in a coalition government in 2017, before leading the center-left Labor Party to a landslide victory in the next election three years later.
Jacindamania
During her tenure, she faced the Covid-19 pandemic, a deadly volcanic eruption and the country’s worst ever attack, the killing of 51 Muslim worshipers at a Christchurch mosque by a white supremacist in 2019.
She is very popular abroad, appearing on the cover of magazines Vogue magazine And timeIt has long enjoyed record approval rates in New Zealand too, with the media sometimes reporting on it. Jacindamania. But she has recently seen her partisan and personal support decline in opinion polls as the economic situation worsens and the right-wing opposition regains strength.
“The time has come. The economy has been destroyed and food prices have skyrocketed.”Thursday, Esther Hedges, a resident of Cambridge, New Zealand’s North Island, complained. “I’m not happy with her and I don’t know anyone”The 65-year-old woman added.
For Christina Sayre, 38, Ms. Ardern is quite the opposite ‘Our best prime minister’. “I love the kind of person she is and she cares about people. I’m sorry to see her go.”
MP until October
Last month, Ardern’s nervousness was evident when she was inadvertently caught on the microphone calling an opposition official. “The arrogant fool.”
In her first public appearance since Parliament went into summer recess a month ago, Ardern made it clear on Thursday that she had hoped to use the break to find the energy to continue governing. “But I couldn’t do it.”she admitted.
She announced that the next elections would be held on 14 October, and until then she would continue to exercise her mandate as an MP.
Recent opinion polls give the centre-right coalition an edge over the Labor Party in this election. But Ms Ardern maintained that this was not the reason for her departure.
“I’m not leaving because I think we can’t win the next election, but because I think we can and we will.” confirmed.
She said her resignation would take effect no later than February 7, and Labor would vote to appoint a new leader within three days. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson immediately announced that he would not be a candidate to succeed Ms Ardern.
The outgoing prime minister confirmed that there was no secret reason for her resignation. “I am leaving because with such an outstanding position comes a great responsibility. A responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, as well as when you are not.”did she say.
Intelligence and strength
Jacinda Ardern was the world’s second female prime minister to give birth in office in 2018, after Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990.
She said she is looking forward to spending more time with her daughter Neff, who is due to start school later this year, and marrying her boyfriend, TV star Clark Gifford.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Ms Ardern as head of government “Show the world how to drive smart and strong.”
