Why Guido van Rossum Resigned and What It Means for Python’s Future

Python’s creator Guido van Rossum, known as the "Benevolent Dictator for Life" (BDFL), announced his resignation on July 12, explaining that age, health issues, and the stress of repeatedly teaching community members and newcomers about Python’s philosophy led him to step down.

"The so‑called lifelong dictatorship was just a joke; the thought of retirement has been in my mind for the past decade," van Rossum said.

He cited the controversy surrounding PEP 572 (assignment expressions) as a trigger, noting that after accepting the proposal he faced harsh criticism on social media, much of it from core members, which deeply disappointed him.

When asked about the benefits and controversy of PEP 572, van Rossum explained that it introduces a syntax allowing assignment within expressions, a small addition similar to features in C, C++, Java, and JavaScript, improving code readability in certain cases but sparking debate over adherence to Python’s design principles.

He confirmed that the feature will appear in Python 3.8, scheduled for release about a year and a half later, and that Python 3’s startup speed will be a focus for the CPython core team.

Python 3.8 will be released in about a year and a half; improving startup speed is a major goal for the core team.

Regarding future leadership, van Rossum said no new BDFL has been appointed yet and that the core development team (over 100 members) has been tasked with exploring governance models and selecting a new leader, a process expected to take several months with proposals due by October 1, 2018, and a final decision by early 2019.

He emphasized the importance of diversity among core developers and expressed confidence that the community will continue to thrive.

When asked about his future role, van Rossum said he will remain an ordinary contributor or core developer, occasionally writing or reviewing code and focusing on mentoring new core developers, especially women and minorities.

He believes his departure will not scare Python enthusiasts; the community is healthy and strong, and he remains optimistic about Python’s future.

He described recent development processes: new language features and libraries have been added, release cycles are about 1.5 years for major versions, bug‑fix releases occur every few months, and the PEP process remains stable despite the shift from Mercurial to Git.

English source: "Guido van Rossum resigns: What’s next for Python" – https://www.infoworld.com/article/3292936/python/guido-van-rossum-resigns-whats-next-for-python.html