New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek reelection. Arden told reporters that she will step down on Feb. 7 because she no longer has "enough in the tank' to do the job.
After five years as prime minister, Ardern would have faced a tough election campaign in 2023. Her liberal Labour Party won reelection two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.
The Labour Party will select a replacement for Arden ahead of the Oct. 14 general election.
Arden was thrust onto the global stage during the height of the pandemic. She implemented strict travel restrictions and lockdowns that would essentially eradicate the community spread of the virus.
It allowed the country to live with some sort of normalcy while other countries dealt with high levels of transmission and mass casualties.
Ardern took the role of prime minister at the age of 37. She was the youngest world leader at the time.