Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s left-wing leader whose harsh Covid lockdown policies brought her global prominence, unexpectedly resigned on Thursday months ahead of her expected defeat in the October general election.
Summary
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s left-wing leader whose harsh Covid lockdown policies brought her global prominence, unexpectedly resigned on Thursday months ahead of her expected defeat in the October general election.
- In a shocking speech on Thursday, Ardern said she did not have “enough in the tank” to finish her term and lead her incumbent Labour Party into a general election for the third time.
- Just three short years after winning an absolute majority in the 2020 elections, Ardern’s Labour Party is polling at just 30%. New Zealand-based analysts attributed the decline to “a mix of social and economic headwinds” as New Zealand struggles to recover from Ardern’s strict Covid lockdowns and a sharp dip in her personal popularity.
- Ardern’s time in office was defined by crisis. The outgoing prime minister had to confront the 2019 Christchurch mosque terrorist attack, when 51 Muslims were massacred by a white supremacist, a deadly volcanic eruption and the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Chris Hipkins, the education minister who helped enforce Ardern’s lockdowns, is set to replace Ardern as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. Hipkins will have 8 months in office to establish himself before facing voters next fall.
- According to the BBC, Hipkins “faces a steep uphill battle to convince New Zealanders that he and his centre-left Labour party are fit to lead the country for another term.”
- Christopher Luxon, the leader of the center-right Nationals and a former airline CEO, is seen as the likely next leader of this south Pacific nation. The opposition Nationals are currently leading in the opinion polls.
- The New York Times’ takeaway from Ardern’s resignation was “her decision to say no to burnout” instead of what the Times called the “possible alternative explanation” of her cratering poll numbers.
- CNN called incoming New Zealand PM Hipkins “a career politician” who “became a household name” for being the face of Ardern’s lockdown policies.
- NBC News noted Hipkins refused to make clear his policy plans but is expected to reshuffle his cabinet in the coming days ahead of the general election.
- The Wall Street Journal chronicled “how New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern went from pandemic hero to political casualty.” Ardern’s decision to keep New Zealand’s borders closed long after the rest of the world opened up marked the beginning of the end of her premiership.
- The Telegraph reported the most recent poll found the opposition National Party leading with 37%, the left-wing Labour Party trailing with 32%, and ACT (a right-wing party) and the Greens (a left-wing party) tied at 11%. If these results hold, the Nationals and ACT would be able to form a right-wing governing coalition.
- Breitbart called likely new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins the “lockdown tsar” and pointed out New Zealand’s relatively high inflation rate will prove a challenge for the new leader as he seeks a full term in office.
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© Dominic Moore, 2023
