New Zealand: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces her resignation, for lack of "energy"
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in Wellington, November 8, 2021. AP - Mark Mitchell
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Speaking in a televised speech, she announced that a general election would be held on October 14, adding that her Labor Party was in her view to win the election.
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Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister for more than five years, announced on Thursday that she would step down next month.
"
For me, it's time
," she told a meeting of her Labor Party.
“
I simply don't have enough energy for four more years
,” she added, nine months before the legislative elections.
“
I am human.
We give as much as we can and for as long as we can, and then it's time.
And for me, that moment has arrived
,” Ms Ardern told a meeting of her Labor Party.
"
I just don't have enough energy for another four years
," she added.
Jacinda Ardern, 42, became prime minister in a coalition government in 2017, before leading the centre-left Labor Party to a landslide victory in the next election three years later.
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.
After long enjoying record approval ratings, sometimes even dubbed "Jacindamania", she has recently seen her party and her personal popularity ratings plummet in the polls as the economic situation deteriorates and the opposition of the right regains strength.
Last month, Ms Ardern's stress was evident when she was unwittingly caught on the microphone calling an opposition leader an "
arrogant asshole
".
In her first public appearance since Parliament began its summer recess a month ago, Ms Ardern explained on Thursday that she had hoped to use the break to find the energy to continue governing.
"
But I wasn't able to do that
," she admitted.
She announced that the next elections will be held on October 14, and that until then she will continue to exercise her mandate as a deputy.
Recent polls give the advantage, for this election, to a centre-right coalition to the detriment of the Labor Party.
But Ms. Ardern assured that this is not the reason for her departure.
"
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.
She said her resignation would take effect no later than February 7, and the Labor caucus would vote to appoint a new leader in three days.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson immediately announced that he would not be a candidate to succeed Ms. Ardern.
The outgoing Prime Minister assured that there was no secret reason behind her resignation.
“
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 also when you're not
,” she said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed Ms Ardern as a head of government who has “
shown the world how to lead with intelligence and with strength
”.
(AFP)
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New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern