Jacinda Ardern has announced her resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand,
claiming she no longer has “enough in the tank” to lead.
Ms. Ardern sobbed as she described how six “difficult” years in the position had taken their toll.
She will resign as Labour Party leader on February 7th. In the next few days, a vote will be held to pick her replacement.
On October 14, New Zealand will have a general election.
Ms. Ardern, 42, said she had spent the summer considering her future.
Ms. Ardern became the world’s youngest female prime minister when she was elected in 2017 at the age of 37.
A year later, she became the world’s second elected leader to deliver birth while in
office.
She led New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the
Christchurch mosque massacres, and the White Island volcano eruption.
Ms. Ardern led the Labour Party to a resounding election victory in 2020, but her
domestic popularity has recently dropped to new lows, according to polls.
