New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wants to resign

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she would step down next month.

“It’s time for me,” she told members of her Labor Party. “I just don’t have enough in the tank for another four years.”

Ardern, who became Prime Minister in a coalition government in 2017 and then led her centre-left Labor Party to a sweeping election victory three years later, has seen her party and personal loss of popularity in recent polls.

In her first public appearance since Parliament went on summer recess a month ago, she told Labour’s annual caucus retreat that she had hoped to find the energy during recess to continue as leader, “but I couldn’t do it “.

Ardern said her resignation would take effect no later than February 7, adding that the Labor caucus would vote on a new leader on January 22.

Ardern said the next general election would be held on October 14.

“I’m not leaving because I believe we can’t win the next election, but because I believe we can and will,” she said.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said he would not give his name.

Ardern said there was no secret behind her resignation.

“I am a human. We give as much as we can, while we can, and then it’s time. And for me it is time.”

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