Jacinda says she has no energy and announces her resignation in New Zealand in a surprising decision

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced at a party event this Thursday (19), still Wednesday night (18) in Brazil, that she will leave the post until the next 7th of February. The country will have general elections on October 14.

“I’m leaving because with great power comes great responsibility. Including the responsibility of knowing when you’re the right person to lead and when you’re not,” she said, visibly moved, to her supporters. “I know what this job requires. And I know I no longer have the energy to do it well. It’s simple.”

Jacinda could seek re-election for what would be her third term.

In the statement, the politician also said that she believes in the victory of her Labor Party in the election. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson has already said in a statement that he should not be the party’s candidate.

Jacinda, 42, gained the spotlight by becoming the world’s youngest chief executive at the time when she was first elected in 2017.

In office, she experienced episodes that consolidated her image as a leader with empathy and sensitivity. In the second year of her term, she became pregnant and did not give up taking six weeks of maternity leave – leaving the country in the vice’s hands.

The daughter would attract attention again at the age of three months, when she was taken by the New Zealander to the UN General Assembly in New York. While her mother spoke from the podium to other heads of state, Neve stayed on her father’s lap, presenter Clarke Gayford.

In 2019, Jacinda was praised for conveying feelings of conciliation and national unity to a population traumatized by the massacre of 51 people by an extremist in two mosques in the city of Christchurch. After the killings, semi-automatic weapons were banned in the country.

The following year, she would lead the Labor Party to a historic victory, with a wide lead over the opposition National Party. In the second term, she would project herself with how she handled the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. New Zealand has become a world example in fighting the disease, with strict quarantine, extensive testing and an efficient communication strategy.

The strategy, however, generated wear and tear over time. Under pressure from part of the population, given the increase in vaccination and amid the constant outbreak of the delta variant of the coronavirus, in October 2021 the country announced that it would abandon the Covid-zero policy and would start to live with the virus.

Although known for promoting progressive causes such as women’s rights and social justice, Jacinda faced internal criticism that her government failed to deliver on social transformations.

In recent months, the prime minister has faced the lowest ratings of popularity since she came to power. A poll released in December by Kantar One News Polling pointed out that only 29% of the population would choose Jacinda to occupy the position once again – days before the October 2020 election, when she was re-elected, this index was 55%.

Another recent episode of attrition came when she called the leader of a minority opposition party an “arrogant asshole”, unaware that the microphone beside her was on. David Seymour of the liberal ACT asked whether the policy would provide “an example of a time when you made a mistake, apologized for it properly and corrected it”. Jacinda replied that the severity of the measures her government imposed to contain Covid was difficult for the population, but that she defended the work carried out.

Then came the cursing. Seymour at first demanded that the Prime Minister apologize to Congress, but the request was denied. Later, in a meeting with the press, he stated that Jacinda sent a text message redeeming herself for what happened and that everything was fine between the two.

Last month, the prime minister admitted in an interview that the moment was challenging for her administration, but criticized the opposition, which, according to her, did not present proposals to deal with the country’s problems.

The political turmoil adds to the economic one, as New Zealand could slip into recession this year. Last month, annual inflation was at 7.2%, the highest rate in nearly 30 years, and the costs of food, rent and gasoline were on the rise.

“I’m human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it’s time. And for me, the time has come,” explained the premier.

“I’m leaving because with such a privileged job comes great responsibility. The responsibility of knowing when you’re the right person to lead — and also when you’re not.”