Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern has announced to step down from her position during the annual meeting of the New Zealand Labour Party. In her statement, Jacinda said that she would not contest in the next general election. New Zealand will hold the next general elections in October 2023.
Jacinda said that holding the prime minister’s office was a big responsibility, and she no longer possesses the energy to serve the position. The prime minister added that during the summer break, she thought to continue as prime minister but changed her decision due to a lack of energy for the position.
Jacinda was elected as Prime Minister in 2017 at the age of 37. During her tenure, she led New Zealand through the 2019 global coronavirus pandemic. She also faced major challenges including terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch and a volcanic eruption.
The timely response to the crisis in New Zealand and praise worthy efforts made her a global star. The fame helped her to run the campaign for the general elections in 2020. Jacinda got re-elected as the PM in the 2020 general elections.
Though Jacinda, now 42 years old, attributes her decision to a low energy level, the international media reports an alarming situation for New Zealand Labour Party, which may have become the reason to resign. According to some reports, Jacinda had a landslide victory in the general elections of 2020.
However, a recent poll unveiled that the female prime minister had lost her popularity among the masses. Jacinda still believes that her party has the ability to win the 2023 general elections and that new faces will come forward to lead New Zealand.