Jacinda Ardern resigns as New Zealand’s prime minister
Her successor has an awful lot to do
JACINDA ARDERN said tearfully that she had found “time for reflection”. Being prime minister requires you to have “a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges”, she declared at a meeting of her Labour Party in the city of Napier. After five years as New Zealand’s leader, the tank had run dry. Ms Ardern announced that she would step down as prime minister no later than February 7th, and perhaps as soon as January 22nd. “I am human. Politicians are human,” she explained. “We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it’s time.”
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “The tank runs dry”
Asia January 21st 2023
- Japan’s armed forces are getting stronger, faster
- India’s sinking towns spark debates about development
- Why South Korea is talking about getting its own nukes
- Japanese youngsters want to look like Chinese starlets
- Jacinda Ardern resigns as New Zealand’s prime minister
- A murder in Afghanistan highlights the misery of women
- Who gets to define what Asia means?
From the January 21st 2023 edition
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