On Thursday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made a shocking announcement, in which she reported her resignation from her post.
Ardern said that she had hoped to prepare for not just another year but another term as the job entailed but she could not do that. So, she announced that she will no longer be seeking re-electing and will be stepping down by 7 February, 2023.
Ardern reported that she knew what the job entailed but she "no longer had enough in the tank to do it justice."
"I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period but, unfortunately, I haven't, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue," she told reporters.
It's one thing to lead your country through peace time, it's another to lead them through crisis," Ardern reported. "These events have been taxing because of the weight, the sheer weight and continual nature of them. There's never really been a moment where it's ever felt like we were just governing."
"Politicians are humans. We give all that we can as long as we can, and then it's time. For me, it's time," Ardern remarked.
While holding back tears, Ardern remarked that the five and a half years she acted as the Prime Minister has been the "most fulfilling" years of her life despite its challenges.
She mentioned that she wasn't stepping down because the job was difficult but because she knew others could do better in her place.
The next general elections will be held on October 14, 2023. A Ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote will determine the new leader of the country on Sunday who will be taking over until the general elections.
Political commentator Ben Thomas said her resignation came as a surprise because despite support for her party drastically declining during the 2020 elections, polls still ranked her as the country’s preferred Prime Minister.
At the age of 37, Ardern became the youngest female head of government in the world in 2017. She's steered New Zealand through all the crises faced during her term with a level head and clear communication.
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