New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, shocked the country Thursday by announcing she would resign from office in a matter of weeks.
The 42-year-old – who steered the country through natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and its worst-ever terror attack – said she no longer had “enough in the tank”.
“I am human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” she said at a meeting of members of her Labour Party.
Ardern said she would step down no later than 7 February, less than three years after winning a landslide election to secure her second term in office.
“I believe that leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also one of the more challenging,” Ardern said.
“You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.”
