Getty ImagesJacinda Ardern says she will quit as New Zealand prime minister next month, saying she no longer has “enough in the tank” to lead.
The 42-year-old said almost six “challenging” years in the job had taken a toll.
She will step down as Labour Party leader no later than 7 February. There will be a vote in the coming days to determine her replacement.
New Zealand will hold a general election on 14 October.
Ms Ardern said she had taken time to consider her future over the summer break.
“I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period but, unfortunately, I haven’t, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue.”
Ms Ardern became the youngest female head of government in the world when she was elected prime minister in 2017, aged 37.
She has led New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic, the Christchurch mosque shootings, and the White Island volcanic eruption.
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