New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on January 19, 2023 in Napier, New Zealand.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on January 19, 2023 in Napier, New Zealand.
Image Kerry Marshall/Getty
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she will resign as the country’s leader in February shocked many voters and leaders around the world.
Ms Ardern, 42, said in her announcement on Thursday local time: “I am leaving, because such a privileged role comes with responsibilities. “The responsibility is to know when you’re the right person to lead and when you’re not. I know what this job entails. And I know that I don’t have the guts to do it rightly. equals. It’s as simple as that.”
Jennifer Lees-Marshment, associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Auckland, told NPR she was surprised Ardern unexpectedly resigns
“I didn’t expect that to happen, because it’s rare for politicians to be so strategic and selfless,” she said.
According to Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, it’s hard to imagine a politician resigning in the US like Ardern did: potentially re-elected and still be respected around the world. Global.
Experts told NPR that there are a few things other global leaders should do from this point on: bow gracefully while keeping their reputations mostly intact.
“Mrs Ardern’s resignation before being pushed by her colleagues or losing an election could leave leaders in other countries wondering if they should leave,” Lees-Marshment said. “Most leaders are struggling due to the long-term impact of the pandemic and related lockdowns, as well as the cost-of-living crisis. Historically, leaders have been waiting to be heard. promote.”
Ardern’s departure helps keep the Labor Party alive
A news announcement is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, August 11, 2020.
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A news announcement is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, August 11, 2020.
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At the age of 37, Ardern became the world’s youngest female leader in 2017. As a radical politician known for her demeanor and compassion, she is often praised. as a counterweight to more extreme politicians like former US President Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.
Globally, Ardern is highly regarded. At home, however, she and her Labor Party have suffered in recent months. Lees-Marshment said her chances of winning the next election – as well as that of her party – are high, but not guaranteed.
Ardern also faces additional pressure as a relatively young female leader.
“The pressure on prime ministers has always been enormous, but in this age of social media, clickbait and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and cynicism that in her experience has come to be. I’m unprecedented in our country,” Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, speak.
Lees-Marshment said: “By resigning, Ms Ardern gives her party a chance to succeed.
“Mrs Ardern’s resignation is not because of a scandal, but certainly her personal brand has been contaminated,” she said. “Labour has branded themselves to the leader, so it’s very much a leadership brand, which is very beneficial in 2017 as Ardern is a new and trusted leader, reassured and full of energy.” hunger.”
This has worked again in 2020, says Lees-Marshment, when Ardern’s brand as chancellor is tied to her aggressive and effective crisis management over the COVID pandemic, Lees-Marshment said.
In the end, she decided to close the New Zealand border during the pandemic was criticized at home.
Lees-Marshment said voters have also become frustrated with the lack of “transformational change” in housing and especially climate change, which was promised in 2017.
Ardern becomes “electoral accountability for 2023.”
Ardern’s departure is an important reminder for politicians
Several global leaders, impressed by Ardern’s farewell speech, said she has reshaped how politicians can lead and then Leave on the right note.
World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Ms Ardern has set a good example for others to follow.
“Women know when to step down… their egos are lower,” Okonjo-Iweala told Bloomberg News. Ms Ardern “set a good example” by resigning after giving her all, she added.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tweeted, “Jacinda Ardern has rewritten the rulebook for how world leaders should look and act, and made it all the more lovable for NZ citizens around the world.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who resigned from Ardern, said the prime minister had left a “good example” for others to follow.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who resigned from Ardern, said the prime minister had left a “good example” for others to follow.
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Tammy Vigil, senior associate dean and associate professor of communications science at Boston University, says the moment can serve as an important reminder to many politicians of why they’re in office. .
“We often don’t talk as much about the community service element of leadership as we should,” she said. “Right now, we have a lot of parties fighting and politicians becoming party fighters instead of civil servants.”
Recent War Vigil’s note on the role of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is a perfect example of this.
Politicians are constantly pushed to raise funds or think about the next election. That doesn’t always work in favor of good leadership, she said.
“The real purpose of being a politician is to lead, run, and do good for others. That reminder, I think, is necessary,” Vigil said.
Despite the drop in previous polls, Ardern is likely to have a very positive legacy, said Lees-Marshment.
“It will include showing how modern values can be integrated into a strong leadership style, including: relativity, kindness and community,” she said.
Part of that legacy, she says, stems from Ms Ardern’s ability to showcase “the power of female leaders” as she normalizes her duties as a mother and a politician. politicians while skillfully handling multiple crises.
This could create space for mental health discussions in politics
Every expert who spoke to NPR was struck by Ardern’s choice to mention that she no longer had the energy to take on another term. It could be a good starting point for other politicians to acknowledge the stress work puts on their personal lives and mental health, they say.
The support Ardern receives from other leaders can help encourage that change. After Ardern made his announcement, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib tweeted“It takes courage and wisdom to make such a decision. You have shown us leadership beyond people.”
In many workplaces, “the idea of mental health as a value has come to the fore. It’s not really in politics,” says Kurlantzick.
“There is an opinion that politicians should keep striving, as long as they can,” he said. It’s possible that Ardern’s departure “will be a factor for other politicians to think about whether they are affecting their mental health.”
Some think Ardern’s resignation is the right time to bring that conversation into the mainstream, Vigil said. But there will be critics who will call it a moment of weakness, showing how hard it is to have this conversation in politics.
“We can have conversations about mental health, on all fronts, in every profession, but I think it’s a challenge, especially for women, to be able to make a statement,” she said. such father. “Women have struggled for so long to prove that they can side with men in politics. But I think it’s still a while before we see that kind of conversation spread when it comes to politics. .”
