Jacinda Ardern Resigns as New Zealand's PM
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Justice of New Zealand
On 19 January 2023, New Zealand’s 40th prime minister Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly announced her resignation after a term that lasted over five years. Labour Party member and COVID response minister Chris Hipkins has been confirmed as her successor.
In an emotional speech, Ardern cited burnout as her primary reason for resigning: “I am human, politicians are human. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.”
She added that she was looking forward to being present for her daughter, who will be starting school this year as well as her marriage with partner Clarke Gayford.
Sworn in as prime minister in October 2017, Ardern became the world’s youngest female head of government, and her popularity gave rise to the term “Jacinda-mania”. Over the course of her term, she was tasked with managing several crises, including the Christchurch mosque shootings and White Island volcanic eruption, which both occurred in 2019. She is also the woman behind New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been globally acclaimed as “one of the world’s most successful” responses. Her initial strategy of implementing rapid border control measures held off a major outbreak for several months.
At the same time, Ardern has been a victim of continual abuse and threats, with threats against her almost tripling over the course of the pandemic. In early 2022, dissatisfaction with national Covid-19 strategies culminated in a violent anti-vaccination riot, with multiple fires breaking out on parliament lawns and protesters calling for her execution. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Auckland revealed that Ardern has received up to 90 times more online abuse than several high-profile New Zealand political figures, and she is likely to require high levels of police protection even after her resignation. Former intelligence worker Paul Buchanan states that the level of abuse she has received is “off the charts”, and Hipkins has also condemned the vitriol as “abhorrent”. Ardern, however, has dispelled rumours that the abuse was the main reason for her departure.
There was no sign of such protestors on Tuesday, as Ardern made her final appearance as prime minister at the country’s annual Rātana celebration. Crowds flocked to the area to say goodbye to her and express their gratitude. World leaders also paid tribute to her, with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese praising her ‘intellect and strength’ as well as her “powerful leadership qualities”.