37% Find Ardern’s Reasons for Stepping Down as Prime Minister Highly Justified

A political leader’s resignation can occur for various reasons, ranging from political pressure and policy disagreements to personal scandals and health issues. In recent years, more and more politicians have stepped down as prime ministers due to exhaustion and burnout, highlighting the growing issue of mental health in the high-stakes world of politics.

On January 19, Jacinda Ardern resigned as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, telling reporters she no longer had “enough in the tank” to lead. It has been widely discussed that her resignation was a response to the cost-of-living crisis and strict COVID-19 restrictions. On the other hand, others have praised her empathetic leadership style in her office and her candor in her reasons for stepping down.

Real Research, an online survey app, attempted to gather opinions about this through a survey on Jacinda Ardern stepping down as prime minister of New Zealand.

These are the highlights of the report analysis:

• 84.43% are aware of the news that says Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister
• Most respondents (37.14%) find Ardern’s reason for quitting highly justified
• 38.81% say Ardern’s stress & burnout from her role as prime minister caused her to step down

Jacinda Ardern Resigns as New Zealand’s Prime Minister

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her plans to resign by February 7, 2023. The news that says Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister travels across the globe and reaches 84.43% of survey respondents, leaving only 15.57% unaware of it.

Read Also: Nearly 92% Are Aware of Liz Truss’ Resignation.

A resignation of a political leader can elicit a range of reactions among citizens, from surprise and skepticism to relief and hope for change. On the news that says Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand, most (15.65%) feel indifferent, while others are worried (12.43%), shocked (10.84%), and sad (8.76%) about what might happen next for the country and its people.

Reasons Why Jacinda Ardern Resigns as Prime Minister

How people react to a resignation can depend on a number of factors, including the political climate, the leader’s popularity, and the reasons for their resignation. In the report that says Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister, she cited having ‘no more in the tank…’ to continue as prime minister, possibly indicating burnout due to the gravity of the role.

According to our respondents, most (37.14%) find Ardern’s reason for quitting highly justified. The rest were divided on the impressions of somewhat justified (27.61%), somewhat unjustified (15%), and highly unjustified (5.92%).

The announcement that says Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister also led to many speculating that she has more reasons for leaving. Based on our survey findings, among these are the following:

Ardern’s stress & burnout resulting from the seriousness of her role as prime minister (38.81%), the possible threats to Ardern or her family (25.79%), or that it might be that Ardern is stepping down before actually ‘being thrown out’ (10.94%).

The Challenges During Ardern’s Leadership

Moreover, Ardern, in her speech, also stated that in addition to pre-existing agendas such as housing, child poverty, and climate change, a few other major events also made her tenure more challenging. According to survey respondents, these might include the pest ‘Fall Armyworm’ across numerous plants and crops (19.51%), the economic crisis (17.79%), and the COVID–19 pandemic (16.19%).

• 45% Satisfied With the Protests Forcing Sri Lankan Leaders’ Resignations

The Implications of Ardern’s Resignation

Several political leaders in the past had stepped down from their respective roles, citing reasons such as pressure, exhaustion, etc. The leaders whose resignations have been particularly significant, according to respondents, are the following:

Angela Merkel (8.94%), Shinzo Abe (8.39%), Charles Michel (7.71%), Theresa May (7.32%), and Jacob Zuma (6.89%).

A leader’s resignation can suggest a variety of things about world leaders and their positions, depending on the circumstances and context. For many (11.7%), Ardern’s resignation indicates the importance of knowing when to stop and step back. However, for others, it indicates how demanding such roles can be (11.37%) and shows the amount of stress they bear (10.19%).

Also Read: Public Opinion on Pope Francis’ Resignation