In seven years as New Zealand's prime minister, the 42-year-old Jacinda Ardern it has achieved an international prestige and recognition that great world leaders can only dream of. He did it by leading a small, albeit very civilized country on the edge of the international arena.
And he did so above all by example, that is by showing that it is possible to bring into politics and the management of the res publica those values of "example, honesty, coherence and altruism" proclaimed, for example, by our Sandro Pertini usually peremptory.
La Pira also said that example moves mountains. And Ardern has demonstrated that she can put many of those virtuous qualities into practice in her own governance and in the kind of empathic leadership she has delivered.
It also showed that a female leadership it can be different and better than what is generally expressed by the other camp. By now there are many examples, but Ardern's is emblematic. He's the only one New Zealand premier, whose electorate is rather fluctuating and the political system very fluid since the introduction of proportional representation in 1992, to have obtained a second term by gaining an absolute majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
On the other hand, women in the highest state authorities are certainly nothing new for this country at the antipodes of Italy. In 2005, almost twenty years ago, the five highest offices of state were occupied by women: the queen was Elisabetta II, the premier Helen Clark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Margaret Wilson, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Sian Elias and the office of governor-general was held by Dame Silvia Cartwright.
An icon of the global left
Soon after her unexpected rise to power as the youngest New Zealand prime minister in 150 years, Ardern became an international celebrity. For admirers she was the sunny face of progressivism and a welcome alternative to the then president's politics Donald Trump in the United States. So much so that there has been talk of “Jacindamania”.
In fact, in addition to leading the country in an exemplary way in dramatic passages such as the Christchurch terrorist attack of 2019, the eruption of the White Island volcano, the pandemic of the following years, Ardern has kept high and visible from a great distance, the banner of liberal democracy hoisted on the mast of a blockhouse under siege and continuous shelling.
All the actions of this leader can be unquestionably inscribed within the perimeter of the free democratic society and its basic principles. A perimeter that is also the "fence" of open companies. It is not for nothing that Karl Popper wrote one of his most important works in New Zealand, namely The Open Society and its Enemies.
The compassionate and human side
There is not only the public and political aspect to raise the stature of Ardern, there is also that human and private.
The sincere way she rallied around the Islamic community afterward made headlines the Christchurch bombing and her always being extraordinarily close to people during the lockdowns: she connected every day from the office or from home to support the population.
He had a daughter during his tenure as prime minister in a shared way with his partner, he took her with her on international missions such as when he took part in the general assembly of the United Nations.
Also 'sudden announcement to retire as leader of the Labor Party and therefore not to run for prime minister in the political elections next October was an act of transparency, candor and sincerity: “I don't have enough fuel in the tank to face the political challenges that await us. It's time to go.” he told the party caucus in Napier.
The high point of the farewell speech to politics came when she addressed her five-year-old daughter Neve and her partner Clarke Gayford, TV presenter.
To her daughter she said, "Snow, Mommy is looking forward to being there when you start school this year." And to the partner: “Finally we can get married”.
A highly significant gesture
The most significant act of his government action is, perhaps, the personal and institutional response to theterroristic attack to two mosques in Christchurch in 2019, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 51 Muslims. Visibly moved, Ardern turned to the Islamic community with these words: “We represent diversity, kindness, compassion. We are home to those who share our values. We are a refuge for those in need."
72 hours after the tragedy, the prime minister therefore attended a vigil in full hijab and promised that the nation would not only cover the costs of the funerals of those killed in the attack, but would take care of the families and their needs for all the time needed.
And then the political act followed. Within just a week, the government you presided over imposed restrictions on the purchase of weapons, followed by the approval of a law banning the use of most semi-automatic weapons.
The decline in popularity of the Labor Party
A recent poll shows that Ardern remains the prime minister still chosen by voters: the majority prefer her to the leader of the Nationalist Party, currently in opposition Christopher luxon. But the Labor Party is down sharply in the polls over the National Party, leading by 4 percentage points.
Ardern's loss could be devastating for Labor as it prepares to elect a new leader who could be the current justice minister Kiri Allen who, in the event of a victory for Labour, would become the first prime minister of Maori origin.
New Zealand is going through the same difficulties that other developed OECD countries are facing with the aggravating circumstance of a 12% drop in the cost of housing with considerable repercussions on mortgages.
Milestones in Ardern's career
- 2008. She was elected to the Labor Party list in the New Zealand House of Representatives after working in the UK, including a stint in Prime Minister Tony Blair's office.
- 2017. She is elected Labor Party leader and becomes prime minister less than three months later, having formed a coalition with minority parties.
- 2018. She gives birth to daughter Snow. She takes six weeks of maternity leave and later brings Neve to the United Nations General Assembly.
- 2019. He leads New Zealand into a period of mourning after the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch and pushes through tougher gun control laws in response. The eruption of the volcano on White Island in December brings his compassionate leadership style to the fore again.
- 2020. New Zealand closes borders and adopts some of the strictest isolation measures in the world in response to Covid-19. The hardline approach is widely supported by the population and the premier leads Labor to a decisive victory in October's election.
- 2022. New Zealand's pandemic policies are being tested by mass protests in front of Parliament. The government lifts the restrictions, but the cost of living and a sharp rise in interest rates and inflation affect Ardern's popularity. She meets US President Joe Biden and signs an enhanced security pact to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
- 2023. Ardern resigned, saying her decision was driven not by polls but by her feeling depleted of energy in facing the political tests ahead.
Sources:
Nick Fildes, Ardern's exit New Zealand prime minister to step down, The “Financial Times”, January 20, 2023
Nick Fildes, Jacinda Ardern to stand down as New Zealand's prime minister, The “Financial Times,” January 19, 2023
Natasha Frost, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's Leader, Says She Will Step Down, “The new York Times”, January 18, 2023Nic Fildes, Ardern accelerates border reopening as 'Jacindamania' wanes, The “Financial Times”, March 16, 20
