Jacinda Ardern: Why is New Zealand’s Prime Minister the most popular politician on the planet?

In his five and a half years at the helm of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has become one of the most popular rulers on the planet, thanks to a style of leadership empathetic and firm that has shone in some decisive moments of his tenure.

However, the 42-year-old leader told a meeting of her party that he no longer has “the energy” to continue “another four years”.

Find out here 5 key moments in the political career of one of the leaders with the highest acceptance in her country.

youngest leader

In September 2017, she won the elections in her country and became, at the age of 37, the youngest leader in the world. To her youth, she added in June of the following year the milestone of becoming the second world leader she had given birth to during her tenure (the previous one was the late Pakistani Benazir Bhutto in 1990).

Like other facets of her personal and political life, Ardern embraced motherhood naturally, becoming the first ruler to come to the United Nations General Assembly with her three-month-old daughter, with whom she was seen playing minutes before giving her speech.

That ease in his first months of government gave New Zealand unusual notoriety and gave rise to the so-called “jacindamania” in the media and social networks.

Christchurch attacks

Your first trial by fire It was the Christchurch bombings. in March 2019, when an Australian white supremacist shot dead 51 people during an assault on two mosques, in what was the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history.

Ardern immediately announced a reform of the gun law, showed empathy while wearing an Islamic headscarf and turned the pain of the Muslim minority into that of the entire country by uttering the phrase: “We are one, they are us.”

Whakaari volcano eruption

Another of the tragic moments that he lived at the head of the country was the eruption in December 2019 of the volcano Play itwhich left 22 dead among workers and tourists from different countries.

Ardern He showed his empathetic leadership both with the families of the victims and with the rescuers, whom he congratulated in person and in public for their work.

Pandemic management

The pandemic of COVID-19 started three years ago was a resounding healthcare success for Ardernwhich thanks to some draconian measures limited the number of infections and deaths, but was also one of its biggest headaches due to the opposition to these measures, criticism of slow vaccination and protests from the anti-vaccine movement.

New Zealand was internationally recognized as the country that had best managed the pandemic and has registered just 2,500 deaths from covid-19 for a population of 5 million, the lowest rate in Western countries.

farewell

Ardern He carried his light-hearted style of leadership up to the moment he announced his resignation today, acknowledging openly that he had no energy left to run for new elections and that he will take the opportunity to spend more time with his family.

In an emotional speech in which he tried several times to hold back tears, Ardern acknowledged that he has no concrete plans for when he leaves office on February 7, although he will try to “help New Zealand. (With information from EFE)