Jacinda Ardern says no regrets over decision to step down

• Jacinda Ardern says she has “no regrets” about quitting as prime minister.
• Labor Party MPs will vote on a new leader on Sunday.
• According to polls, her party’s chances of winning re-election in October are slim.

Jacinda Ardern says she has “no regrets” about her plans to quit as New Zealand leader, after a decision that shocked both supporters and critics.

A day after revealing she had “no more in the tank”, Ms. Ardern said she was feeling a “range of emotions” from sadness to a “sense of relief”.

According to polls, her party’s chances of winning re-election in October are slim.

The prime minister declared that she would not publicly support any of the front-runners for her position.

As the Labor Party caucus convened in Napier for a retreat, Ms. Ardern said she had “slept comfortably for the first time in a long time” in a speech on Friday outside an airport.

She refuted claims made by some observers that her decision was influenced by experiences with misogyny in response to queries from reporters.

Ms. Ardern said she had a “message for women in leadership and girls who are considering leadership in the future” that “you can have a family and be in these roles”, adding “you can lead in your own style”.

She expressed her desire to spend more time with her family on Thursday and to be present when her daughter starts school later this year.

By February 7th, she will resign, and Labor Party MPs will vote on a new leader on Sunday. The vote will be cast by the entire Labor membership if no candidate receives the backing of two-thirds of the party.

But Ms. Ardern stated that she anticipated a replacement will be announced on Sunday.

Recent polls indicate that Jacinda Ardern’s personal popularity has fallen, possibly to its lowest level since she took office in 2017.

In New Zealand, problems include a faltering economy, a crisis in the cost of living, and worries about crime rates.

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