The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, reported that he resigns from office and called new elections for the end of this year.
The premier, at a press conference, said that her departure will take effect from next February 7.
“I’m human. Politicians are human. We give everything we can for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” Ardern said.
Ardern took office in 2017, when at the age of 37 she became the youngest ruler of New Zealand and in 2020 she won re-election.
Now, the Labor Party will seek to elect its new leader and new prime minister this Sunday, who must govern until a new premier is elected in the general elections on October 14. In this sense, the New Zealand prime minister was confident that the community will be able to win the elections without her, assuring that they are necessary “a new set of shoulders” for the challenges of the next four years.
“I’m not leaving because I think we can’t win the next elections, but because I believe we can and we will,” he said, adding that “I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility of knowing when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not.. I know what this job requires. And I know I don’t have enough in the tank anymore to do it justice. It’s that simple,” said the New Zealand Prime Minister.
“Beyond that, I don’t have any plans. There are no next steps. All I know is whatever I do I’ll try to find ways to keep working for New Zealand and looking forward to spending time with my family again, arguably the most self-sacrificing of all of us,” Ardern said.
Following his announcement, Ardern had words for his family. In the front row was her fiancee, Clarke Gayford: “We’re finally getting married.” Told him.
Turning to her daughter, Neve, she said “Mum can’t wait to be there when you start school this year.”
Prime Minister Ardern was widely highlighted as an international political figure when, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, she decided to close New Zealand’s borders.
In 2020, his victory and that of the Labor Party – which allowed him to be re-elected – were a political milestone. Even the support it held was such that that occasion was the first time that a party achieved its own majority since the country began the current electoral system, in 1993.
It was also widely appreciated that the premiere decrease his salary and that of his ministers in solidarity with those affected by Covid-19. The measure reduced wages by 20% and was extended for six months.
Following the Christchurch massacre in March 2019, he not only showed respect for the victims of the shooting, but he also presented a bill that toughened the measures for the sale of weapons and in less than a month, he obtained the approval of the bill that prohibited weapons, similar to those used by the attacker.
In this regard, she assured during her announcement that “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved in the last five years despite the many challenges that lie ahead. We have turned the statistics of child poverty on its head and achieved the most significant increases in social support and public housing stocks seen in many decades.”.
However, his popularity began to decline after the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The island faces problems of inflation and rising prices. In addition, the country is experiencing an increase in violence unleashed by different gangs, which led politics to lower their numbers.
“In addition to our ambitious agenda that has sought to address long-term issues such as the housing crisis, child poverty and climate change, we also had to respond to a major biosecurity raid, a domestic terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, and a global pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. The decisions that have had to be made have been constant and weighty”, added the premier.