The New Zealand prime minister noted in her announcement that she would continue to serve as a member of parliament for her electorate until April in order to avoid having to hold a by-election.
Jacinda Ardern, who serves as the prime minister of New Zealand, has announced she will be resigning from her post next month as she no longer has "what it takes" to commit to the job.
🔴 #BREAKING: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election and has revealed the date she will stand down https://t.co/UET5ZoszD1 #Newshub pic.twitter.com/fPAROdI5l2
— Newshub (@NewshubNZ) January 19, 2023
The shock announcement came during an annual Labour caucus meeting on Thursday in New Zealand's Napier.
“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” Ardern announced.
Local media reports have indicated that a caucus vote will be held on Sunday in order to elect both a new party leader and candidate for New Zealand's next prime minister ahead of the national election on October 14.
Her final day in the post will be February 7, 2023. The outgoing prime minister will stay on as an MP of Mt. Albert until April in order to avoid holding a by-election.
Reacting to the development, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented that Ardern "has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength."
Elected to the prime ministership at the age of 37, Ardern was considered the world's youngest female head of government when she took up the post in 2017. She won a reelection campaign in 2020.
During her five-plus years in office, Ardern oversaw the White Island volcanic eruption, Christchurch terror attack and the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.
Political commentator Ben Thomas said Ardern's announcement was a huge surprise as polls still ranked her as the country’s preferred prime minister even though support for her party had fallen from the stratospheric heights seen during the 2020 election.
Thomas said that there was not a clear successor.
Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do a better job.
She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married.
Her initial election made a big splash on the global stage because of her gender and youth, coining the phrase "Jacinda-mania".
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