Because of her empathetic nature and her successful crisis management, she quickly made a name for herself internationally.
(Photo: AP)
Bangkok Jacinda Ardern ends an extraordinary political career with a shaky voice – with a reason that is just as unusual for top politicians. She did her best as New Zealand’s prime minister, but the job also demanded a lot from her, said the Social Democrat, who became the world’s youngest prime minister when she was elected in 2017 at the age of 37.
“I know what this job requires and I know I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” she said, on the verge of tears. She therefore wants to hand over official business to a successor by the beginning of February.
Her admission that she no longer had the strength to work at the head of government came as a complete surprise to political observers in New Zealand. However, the willingness to publicly admit personal weaknesses suits the exceptional politician, who has found international recognition with her empathetic political style.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ardern for her intellect and strength after the announcement of his retirement. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked her for “sensitive, strong and consistent leadership”.
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Ardern became the first prime minister in decades to give birth to a child while in office. Three months after the birth, she took her baby to the United Nations General Assembly. After the assassination attempt by a right-wing extremist who shot dead 51 Muslims in Christchurch, she found the right words and symbols. The country is united in sorrow, she said. When she met relatives, the politician, who describes herself as irreligious, wore the Hijab headgear, which is traditional in Islam.
Ardern wants to be a role model: “One who knows when it’s time to go”
At her farewell press conference, Ardern emphasized how important this approachable type of politics was to her. She hopes she has shown New Zealanders “that you can be kind but strong, sensitive but determined, optimistic but focused,” she said. She also wants to set an example of being a different kind of leader: “One who knows when it’s time to leave.”
In her emotional speech, she showed herself burnt out: “I’m human, politicians are human. We’re giving everything we can – as long as we can,” she said. It is now time for her to draw a line.
Prime Minister Jacida Ardern announces resignation
Ardern’s five-and-a-half-year tenure was characterized by an almost uninterrupted crisis mode. The coronavirus pandemic was by far the greatest challenge. Under Ardern, New Zealand chose the special path of a strict zero-Covid policy, which only a few other countries such as Australia and China had otherwise achieved. It almost completely sealed off the island state of five million inhabitants for two years. She managed to keep the number of infections and deaths very low for a long time – even today, the country has had 60 percent fewer corona fatalities than Germany in relation to the size of the population since the beginning of the pandemic.
But Ardern was willing to use extreme means to achieve containment success: in August 2021, after a single case of Covid became known, she imposed a nationwide lockdown lasting several days.
Ardern’s corona crisis management was initially popular: in October 2020 she achieved a historic election victory. Her Labor Party won an outright majority for the first time in decades. However, Ardern’s popularity ratings then declined. This is the price for having protected the country from Covid-19, said the head of government, who has repeatedly been the target of misogynist hostility, in an interview last year.
Opposition conservatives are now ahead in polls
But they were also under pressure from the sharp rise in the cost of living and accusations that their fight against crime was too lax. Current polls put the conservative opposition ahead ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 14. However, Ardern emphasized that her resignation should not mean that she already sees the election as lost. “I’m not leaving because I think we can’t win the election, but because I believe Labor can and will win it,” she said. But “fresh shoulders” are needed to face the challenges.
“You can and should only do the job when you have a full tank.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
Who will lead the party – and thus the country – until the election is to be decided in the coming days. A first vote in the party leadership is planned for Sunday. If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority, the party base will decide – a process that should be completed by February 7th at the latest. The favorites include Chris Hipkins, who was responsible for implementing the corona measures in Ardern’s cabinet, and Justice Minister Kiri Allan.
Ardern did not comment on her own professional future plans. However, she announced that she wanted to spend more time with her family – they would probably have suffered the most from her position. She finally wants to make up for the wedding with her partner that was planned because of the corona pandemic.
More: Politician of the Year 2020 – The re-election of Jacinda Ardern is encouraging