Jacinda Ardern surrounded by adoring crowd, marking end of her term as New Zealand’s Prime Minister.
Jacinda Ardern’s final official engagement as the Prime Minister of New Zealand was at the North Island village of Rātana. Hundreds of people gathered to take selfies, record video messages and watch her pass by. Ardern was met with electric fandom, and her star power was firmly on display. People asked for the chance to thank her for her leadership and shook her hand vigorously.
The scenes at Rātana recalled the energy that surrounded her when she first took the leadership in 2017. Ardern’s departure has prompted a reckoning with the scope and volume of misogynistic, violent rhetoric, abuse and threats she has received. She insisted that her experience of the job had been positive and that her departure should not be seen as a negative commentary on New Zealand.
The day was also different as it marked the end of an era. Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins stood in a circle of reporters, but the crowd didn’t look his way. Leaders of the Māori party, Tainui and Māori King movements paid tribute to Ardern and thanked her for her leadership. Opposition leader Christopher Luxon spoke of his vision of “kindness politics” that Ardern ushered in.
Ardern said she would not be disappearing entirely and that she was looking forward to spending more time as a mother and family member. She also said that Rātana had marked milestones and moments of her tenure as a leader and watched her family grow up, with her daughter Neve occasionally making appearances.
Jacinda Ardern’s term as Prime Minister of New Zealand has come to an end, and with it an era of “kindness politics” that she ushered in. Her final official engagement was marked by hundreds of people gathering to take selfies, record video messages and watch her pass by. Ardern was met with electric fandom and her star power was firmly on display. Leaders of the Māori party, Tainui and Māori King movements paid tribute to her and thanked her for her leadership. She said that she would not be disappearing entirely and that she was looking forward to spending more time as a mother and family member. Ardern’s departure has prompted a reckoning with the scope and volume of misogynistic, violent rhetoric, abuse and threats she has received, but her experience of the job has been positive. The day marked the end of an era, and the question of Ardern’s ongoing influence on the direction and tone of New Zealand politics remains open.
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