New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigns

"It's about time": the new prime minister of Zealand Jacinda Ardern resigns.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a global figure in progressive politics, shocked the country on Thursday by announcing that she would step down from office within weeks.

The 42-year-old, who has led the country through natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and the worst terrorist attack ever, said she didn't have "enough in the tank."

"I am a human being," she told a meeting of Labor Party members. "We give everything we can for as long as we can, and then it's time." "And for me, it's time."

Ardern said she would step down no later than February 7, less than three years after she won a landslide election to secure her second term.

Since the peak of "Jacindamania" in 2020, Ardern's government has struggled, its popularity hampered by soaring inflation, a looming recession, and a resurgence of the conservative opposition.

"I think leading a country is the most privileged job one can have, but also one of the most difficult jobs," Ardern said.

"You can't and shouldn't do that unless you have a full tank, plus a little reserve for those unexpected challenges."

Ardern has won international acclaim for her sympathetic handling of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre, in which 51 Muslim worshipers were killed and 40 injured.

Later that year, she was acclaimed for her decisive leadership during the deadly eruption of White Island (also known as Whakaari).

On Thursday, she cited her government's actions on housing affordability, climate change, and child poverty as other sources of pride.

"We did this while responding to some of the greatest threats to our nation's health and economic well-being since World War II," Ardern said.

She appeared on the covers of British Vogue and Time magazines, and there was a perception that Ardern was more popular abroad than at home.

At its peak, it was a national power, but its government has fallen steadily in opinion polls over the past year.

   It was time. "It destroyed the economy and food prices skyrocketed," said Esther Hedges of Cambridge, on the North Island of New Zealand.

I'm not happy with her, and I don't know if anyone is.

Christina Sayre, 38, said Ardern was "the best prime minister we've had."

"I love the kind of person she is, and she cares about people." I'm sorry to see her go.

The stress of the job is evident, with Ardern showing a rare lack of poise last month when she was caught unwittingly calling an opposition politician an "arrogant moron."

New Zealand actor and Hollywood veteran Sam Neill said Ardern was a frequent target of social media "bullies."

"She deserved so much better," he said in an online statement.

Ardern announced that New Zealand would choose its next prime minister in a general election on October 14.

She said she would continue to serve as a constituency representative until then.

His departure left a void at the top of the Labor Party, with his deputy Grant Robertson quickly ruling out a leadership inclination.

Although recent polls point to a center-right coalition likely to win the election, Ardern said this was not the reason for her resignation.

"I'm not leaving because I don't think we can win the next election, but because I think we can and we will," he said.

"I am leaving because with such an outstanding job comes a great responsibility." "A responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, as well as when you are not."

Ardern was the second female prime minister in the world to give birth while in office, after Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

She said she is looking forward to spending more time with her daughter, Neff, who will be starting school later this year, and to finally marrying her partner, TV personality Clark Gifford.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spearheaded the international tributes for Ardern, saying she "showed the world how cleverly and powerfully she leads."

"He has demonstrated that empathy and intuition are powerful leadership qualities," Albanese said.

The US ambassador to New Zealand, Tom Udall, said Ardern was an "incredible global leader."