The 42-year-old prime minister made the announcement during a Labor Party meeting, saying shakily: “I don’t have enough energy to continue with the work. It’s time.”
The charismatic politician managed in October 2020 to revalidate her mandate with an overwhelming majority and for the Labor Party to govern alone, something that no New Zealand formation had achieved since the electoral reform of 1996.
“I’m not quitting because it’s hard, I’m quitting because this job carries a lot of responsibility, and I don’t have enough energy to do it justice”explained Ardern during a press conference, who said that it will always be the “most beautiful” position of his life.
The New Zealand politician stated that she has no plans once she leaves the position and that she will take the opportunity to spend more time with her family, while she thinks about how to continue “helping New Zealand”.
She also stated that she has not chosen a successor, and in the next few days there will be a vote within her party to choose a candidate, with New Zealand holding elections next October 14.
His announcement comes as polls in recent months give the opposition National Party a certain lead in the elections.
Ardern became the world‘s youngest female leader when she was elected prime minister in 2017 at age 37.
During her tenure, New Zealand has gone through numerous challenges, she herself recalled today, such as the covid-19 pandemic, the attack on two mosques in Christchurch in 2019, which left 51 dead, or the eruption of the White Island volcano that same year.
“I am human, politicians are people. For me, the time has come,” Ardern justified, visibly moved, stating that her country is “in a better place” now in several areas than years ago, including the fight against change climate.
“You can be kind and strong, and also be the kind of leader who knows when it’s time to walk away,” he argued.