Jan 19, 2023
By: Kavya MishraNew Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said she will stand aside for a new leader in a few weeks as she announced early retirement ahead of the General Elections.
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. She won global praise for the brilliant handling of Covid-19 and terror attacks in the country.
Announcing early retirement on Thursday, Arden said she doesn’t believe she has the energy to seek re-election in the October polls and wants to make way for her successor. “I no longer have enough in the tank to do the job justice,” she said.
Speaking at a news conference, Ardern said, “The decision was her own,” and 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,” she added.
New Zealand PM said her term would end by February 7 and she is expecting a new Labour PM to be sworn in – though “depending on the process that could be earlier.”
Since becoming the world’s youngest female head of government in October 2017, Arden became one of the most-admired politicians in the world. She won huge praise for successfully guiding New Zealand through the Covid-19 crisis and response to the Christchurch crisis.
In 2020, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won re-election in a landslide. Polls showed Ardern's Labour Party with a wide lead over the nearest competitor.
Christchurch terror attacks were one of the redefining moments in Arden's leadership, her swift response to introduce gun law reforms, wearing a hijab to show her respect for the Muslim community and publicly saying would never speak the name of the alleged attacker, made her one of the most popular leaders in the world.
Arden’s political career began with a stint at former New Zealand PM Helen Clark's office. After that, she moved to Britain to serve as a policy advisor to Tony Blair. Ardern was leading the party, only the second woman after Helen Clark, weeks before her election.
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