“No more in the tank” says the President
On Thursday New Zealand Prime-Minister Jacinda Arden announced her decision to step down from her position, citing that she does not have the energy participate in re-election in October polls. She also mentioned in a news conference that her term would come to an end by 7th February 2023. A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election.
"The decision was my own," Ardern said. "Leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also the most challenging. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges." "I no longer have enough in the tank to do the job justice," she added.
Ardens leadership during her tenure as the Prime Minister received great praise from leaders worldwide because of fast decisions and great presence of mind when the country went through numerous challenges.
On Thursday, Ardern spoke candidly about the toll the job has taken and reflected on the various crises her government has faced, including both the pandemic and the 2019 Christchurch terror attack, which killed 51 people at two mosques.
The attack was a defining moment of Ardern's leadership, and her rapid response won widespread praise. She swiftly introduced gun law reforms, wore a hijab to show her respect for the Muslim community and publicly said she would never speak the name of the alleged attacker.
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