STATEMENT OF THE CHAIR
19 January, 2023
PM Jacinda Ardern's decision to step down confirms her personal, human and political qualities - a pride for the people of New Zealand
The Chair of the EP Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand (DANZ) Ulrike Müller (Renew, DE) issued the following statement today:
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that she will resign from her position in February, declaring that the office of the Prime Minister is such a challenge that she has no strength for another term.
PM Ardern also stated that the office of the Prime Minister "is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also the most challenging" and that she believes that she has not the required energy for another term (NZ has elections scheduled in mid-October).
It is precisely this kind of openness in her work that has always made Jacinda Ardern a role model. I wish to remind readers that she became Prime Minister during 2017, when she was only 37 and one of the youngest leaders in the world. Within a year, she had given birth while in office - only the second world leader ever to do so. Jacinda ran New Zealand through difficult times, including the Covid pandemic.
As Chair of the Delegation for Relations with New Zealand in the European Parliament, I have had several personal meetings with her and I have always found her to be a reflective leader who has been deeply committed to the friendship and strategic partnership with the European Union.
Thank you to Jacinda Ardern for the friendly cooperation with the EU and for being such a strong woman at the helm of your country.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP