No power for further term
New Zealand’s Ardern announces retirement
1/19/2023 4:08 am
Jacinda Ardern has been Prime Minister of New Zealand for almost six years. The 42-year-old is still very popular with the population. Now the politician has surprisingly announced that she intends to resign from office.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern surprisingly announced her resignation. At a press conference on Thursday, Arden said she no longer had the strength to continue to lead New Zealand. She will resign by early February at the latest and will not stand for re-election.
“I know politicians are people. We give everything we can while we can. And then it’s time. And for me it’s time.” The 42-year-old politician, who fought back tears at times, said her nearly six years as Prime Minister had been a tough one. You haven’t found a way to prepare for another year and another term.
During her tenure, Ardern had to deal with the terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, earthquakes, political and economic crises and the corona pandemic. She said she is not stepping down because prime minister’s job is difficult, but because she believes others can do better. She told her four-year-old daughter Neve that she would be there when she started school this year. It is also time to marry her longtime partner Clarke Gayford.
The ruling New Zealand Labor Party will elect a new leader on Sunday. The party leader will also hold the post of prime minister until the next general election on October 14. According to New Zealand political commentator Ben Thomas, Ardern’s announcement comes as a complete surprise. According to polls, she is still the preferred prime minister of New Zealand, even if she is no longer as popular as she was when she was re-elected in 2020. Ardern’s first election in 2017 caused a sensation around the world.