Jan. 19 () –
When Jacinda Ardern came to power in New Zealand, in October 2017, she marked a milestone not so much for her gender – she was already the third woman to hold the head of Government – as for her youth – she was 37 years old then – . More than five years later, she says goodbye, already converted into a worldwide political symbol.
Ardern, former Minister of Culture, led the Labor Party from its worst levels of popularity to power in 2017, basically due to a charisma that the polls continue to respect in general terms today, despite the wear and tear suffered in the last months due to economic variables such as inflation.
Labor, who repeated their victory in 2020, based their exponential growth on a leader who did not hesitate to claim herself as a feminist, republican and progressive and who resembled the new generation of world leaders who, like the French Emmanuel Macron or the Canadian Justin Trudeau , asked for passage in a changing scenario.
A critic of immigration and a supporter of new trade regulations, Ardern experienced her great political challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic. First applauded for the ability of her government to reduce cases to practically zero, the strategy proved inapplicable with the emergence of more contagious variants.
The pandemic also marked her personal life to some extent, as Ardern was forced to cancel her wedding after announcing new restrictions. “I am no different from thousands of other New Zealanders,” she said in January 2022, the still prime minister, who still has not married.
He shares his life with Clarke Gayford, with whom he had a son in 2018. In fact, the birth of this child was then another milestone, since Ardern was already in office and decided to enjoy a month and a half leave, something that had only done before by the Pakistani Benazir Bhutto.
Ardern attended the UN General Assembly just three months after giving birth, accompanied by her baby and her partner, who acted as caretaker before media cameras around the world.
FEMINIST DEMANDS
UN Women estimates that there are only around thirty women as Heads of State and Government in their respective countries. Ardern is one of them – she will continue to be until February 7, when she formally leaves office – and during her tenure she has not hesitated to include feminist allegations.
In November 2022, he reproached a journalist at a press conference with the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, for asking them about the supposed “things in common” that both had for reasons of age or gender. She warned that something like this had never been considered when those who met were two men, also of similar ages.
Ardern’s imprint has also been noticeable in the form and substance of his departure, with an appearance in which he has acknowledged that he does not lack the “energy” sufficient to continue in office and once again lead Labor in the upcoming elections, scheduled for October 14.
“I have given everything of myself to be prime minister, but it has also cost me a lot,” she admitted, denying any hidden background and simply claiming to be “human”. To continue to govern, she has declared, will require “a new set of shoulders” capable of bearing the burden of power.
The polls continue to show that Ardern is the favorite leader of the New Zealanders to head the Government, but they also draw wear on the New Zealand Labor Party. In December, the ruling party was five points behind the National Party in a state television poll.
