Sturgeon follows in the wake of Ardern: "I am a human being"

In less than a month two of the world's great female leaders have resigned.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
15 February 2023 Wednesday 06:24
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Sturgeon follows in the wake of Ardern: "I am a human being"

In less than a month two of the world's great female leaders have resigned. On January 19, holding back tears, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that she had "an empty tank" after five years at the helm of the country. More serene, the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, announced that "in my head and in my heart I know that this is the moment" to leave the position that she had held since 2014. Neither of the two were facing a critical moment in their lives. respective governments, have simply assessed that they no longer had the energy to continue in office. They are tired and are not considered essential.

Both Ardern and Sturgeon have had the courage to recognize that leading a country is rewarding as well as exhausting and the humility to admit that, above leaders, they are "a human being", a word that both have used.

“It's been the most rewarding five and a half years of my life, but it's also had its challenges,” Ardern told the media. “I know what this job requires, and I know I no longer have the strength to do it right. It's that simple," he stressed. Sturgeon said something similar this Wednesday. Despite considering that it was "the best job in the world," he admitted that "the truth is that it can't be done by anyone for a long time. For me, now is in danger of becoming too long."

"He could have done a few more months, maybe six months, a year," Sturgeon said. "But over time I would have had less and less energy for my work and I can only do it 100%, it is what the country deserves." Affirming that she had matured her decision for a long time, she cited the changes in her family or the difficulty of being able to "have a coffee with a friend, or go out, alone, for a walk" as reasons that have pushed her to take the decision. decision.

Speaking of his legacy, Ardern said last month that he wishes he had shown that "you can be kind and strong, and also be the kind of leader who knows when it's time to walk away."

The truth is that both leaders no longer enjoyed the popularity of yesteryear. Ardern's image had been tarnished by his handling of the pandemic and the prospect of a recession jeopardized the future of Labor in the upcoming elections. Elsewhere, Sturgeon was facing a crisis over a bill that made it easier for people after legal gender change, polls were showing a poor performance for the Scottish National Party, and British courts had blocked his bid to hold a second independence referendum.

Even so, his decision and his sincerity contrast with the attitude of the majority of world leaders, mostly men.