New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern shocks world with sudden resignation

Web Desk

19th Jan, 2023. 08:43 am
Share

Jacinda Ardern said she had “no more in the tank” to continue leading the nation.
Members of the ruling New Zealand Labour Party will vote for a new leader on Sunday.
A general election will be held on October 14.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, shocked the world on Thursday by announcing that she had “no more in the tank” to continue leading the nation and will resign no later than early February and not run for office again.

It had been a difficult five and a half years as prime minister, Ardern said, adding that she needed to step down because she was only human.

“This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term – because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that,” Ardern, 42, told a news conference.

“I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called ‘real’ reason was… The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human,” she continued.

“Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.”

On Sunday, members of the ruling New Zealand Labour Party will vote for a new leader. The winner will serve as prime minister up to the following general election. A general election will be held on October 14 and Ardern’s tenure as leader will end no later than February 7.

According to Ardern, Labour will prevail in the upcoming election.

Grant Robertson, the deputy prime minister and finance minister of New Zealand, declared in a statement that he will not run to be the next leader of the Labour Party.

Political analyst Ben Thomas said Ardern’s statement came as a great surprise because polls consistently showed that she was the nation’s preferred prime minister, despite the fact that her party’s popularity had declined from the sky-high levels recorded before the 2020 election.

According to Thomas, there was no obvious replacement.

Ardern asserted that she was leaving the position not because it was difficult, but rather because she thought others could do it better.

In addition to telling her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time for them to get married, she made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was excited to be there when she started school this year.

Compassionate leadership approach

Because of her gender and youth, Ardern’s first election made a major impression on the world stage, giving rise to the term “Jacinda-mania.”

Her response to the mass murders at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 that left 51 people dead and 40 injured solidified her compassionate leadership approach.

One day after the incident, Ardern met with the Muslim community while wearing a hijab and declared that the entire country was “unified in grief.” She quickly referred to the attacks as “terrorism.” Within a month, she fulfilled her commitment to implement significant gun law changes.

“Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities,” Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, stated on Thursday.

Ardern received praise from all political corners for how she handled the Covid-19 epidemic, which resulted in of the harshest international regulations but also one of the lowest death rates.

But over the past year, her support has declined as crime has surged, inflation has soared to levels not seen in over three decades, and the central bank has aggressively raised the cash rate.

Over topics like a government makeover of the water infrastructure and the implementation of an agricultural emissions programme, the nation has become more and more politically divided.