SYDNEY, Australia Australia – covers her face from around the world. His leadership style has been studied by Harvard scholars. His science and solidarity approach to coronavirus, which includes answering questions in a sweatshirt after putting his daughter to bed, has led to legions of fans in other countries writing, “I wish you were here.”
The global left (and part of the center) has fallen sharply for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, and she has made a spectacular presence for a leader who manages a population smaller than many mayors. Now the voters of his country have also come around.
On Saturday, Ms. Arden, 40, was preparing to leave for a second term. Preliminary results from the national election showed that his Labor Party expected a clear majority in parliament, with 66 seats out of about 120 and 50.3 per cent of the vote – its strongest performance so far, as New Zealand ratified its electoral system in the middle. 1990s.
Running a wave of support for her, the “go hard, go early” response to the coronavirus, which has been effectively printed in the country, Ms. Arden is now cementing her position as New Zealand’s most famous prime minister, if ever, for generations.
The big win reflects a rapid rise in political stardom.
Just three years ago, Ms. Arden was a last-minute choice to lead the Labor Party, and in her first term, she often struggled to deliver on her progressive promises to make housing more affordable, to alleviate child poverty and to combat climate change.
But after Christchurch managed responses to the terrorist attack, the White Island volcanic eruption and epidemic – not to mention the birth of her first child – has quickly become a global standard-bearer for progressive politics, defining itself as compassionate and competent. In crisis.
“Anti-Trump?” Vogue just called him. “Saint Jesinda?” It usually comes from the Stayed Financial Times, while last year the headline in the New York Times editorial was: “America deserves a good leader like Jacinda Arden.”
In New Zealand, a small-seated country or a small-center center type country where Mrs. Arden’s love for her profile usually lagged behind abroad, she is now commanded to (almost) match her international adoration. If Labor’s term holds, it will be the first time since 1951 that a party has won more than 50 per cent of the vote in New Zealand.
What is unknown is whether it will help deliver the key policy successes that have overcome it.
She has significant political capital, said Jennifer Curtin, director of the Institute for Public Policy at She Cland University. “She has to fulfill her promises with more substance.”
Ms. Ardern has said very little about her legal plans. She won, mainly in support of the epidemic, as New Zealand recently announced a second transmission of the coronavirus.
The remote Pacific Island country of five million people, who have died of just 25 coronaviruses, now feels and feels normal: 30,000 fans came to the recent rugby match between Australia and New Zealand in the capital, Wellington.
Seeing such progress, while coronavirus cases are on the rise in other countries, Ms. Arden went on to say, “Let’s keep going.”
His opponent, Judith Collins, a lawyer and a member of the center-right National Party, tried to bolster his credibility by arguing that the virus reappeared in August on Mr Ordner’s watch because of a breach of protocol at the border. Or at the quarantine facility.
In a handful of controversies, Ms. Collins sought to portray Ms. Arden as shining more than an unreliable, stable leader. In the final days of the race he gave the Prime Minister a false label.
“She told us on June 23 that everyone was being tested. ‘What’s wrong,’ Ms. Collins said in an event of his final campaign this week. “When she said she was hard and fast, she was slow and pathetic. And she lied to us about what happened. “
Polls showed that Ms. Collins never got much traction with attack lines like this.
But as Mrs. Arden glides for a second term, her next government will face an unfamiliar group of challenges.
The people of New Zealand have historically liked politics in the middle of their politics. Coalition governments are common, and Mrs Arden’s first term came in partnership with the popular-center, right-wing New Zealand First Party, which was projected to win no seats this time.
Now Labor will be able to rule on its own with the support of the Greens (they estimated to win about 10 seats), giving her more leeway to move to the left. This will increase the pressure she has had over the years to eradicate child poverty, fix the settlement crisis and define many middle-class families, and live up to the progressive promises she has made over the years to tackle climate change more aggressively.
Ms. Arden’s main decision is that, with such proposals, at a time when the economy is still threatened by epidemics, and the party she leads, it is still unclear what to do with her sudden good fortune.
In a parliamentary democracy like New Zealand the law can move quickly, which means that the success or failure of new policies falls squarely on its shoulders.
“If you can’t blame the smaller party for putting the handbrake on, you better make sure you deliver,” said Richard Shaw, a professor of politics at Massie University in Palmerston North.
One option is to abandon his general choice for consensus and reach out as quickly and quickly as possible. A more likely choice, observers say, would be to acknowledge that she won in part with the center’s right-wing voters, and that the third or fourth term – a labor dynasty – extends to the center when she is on the corner.
In its main part, Professor Curtin said, “He is more reformist than radical.”
Morgan Godfire, a writer and critic who specializes in political issues affecting Indigenous Mઓori people, said Ms. Arden reflects the political environment in which she grew up.
“The Labor Party is a matter of contradiction at the moment, as they have been more popular at any stage since the 1940s, but they are more cautious.” “They are not sure how they will use that popularity. There is very little new thinking on the issues of housing, taxes, M માori. “
During the campaign, Ms. Ardern rejected the Greens’ favor property tax, which included 1 million New Zealand dollars or about 6 65,665,000 in assets worth 1 percent above the threshold. . Those valued at more than 2 million will pay 2 percent.
He responded traditionally when asked for a new idea to stimulate the post-epidemic economy during a second debate in late September.
“Invest in our people,” he said. “Make Apprenticeship Free. Make vocational training free. Introduce them into business jobs that grow the economy. “
Professor Curtin said that in many ways, the emphasis on hearing, small businesses and exporters – Mrs Arden’s response to the economic impact of the epidemic – reflects the traditional view that industries such as health care and child care are overlooked, which could do more for the economy. And can encourage. Greater similarity.
“She’s said she’s a feminist,” said Professor Curtin, “but she’s been very careful about the physical well-being of New Zealanders, especially poor women or older women, and has probably been a little slow.” “
Oliver Hartwich, executive director of the New Zealand Initiative, a center-right think tank, said Ms. Arden had been a more effective communicator than a policy strategist.
“When it comes to PR, when he talks about his daily press conference in the Covid crisis – taking people along and explaining what he wants to do and what he wants to achieve, no one is even close to what Jakinda does. He is an extraordinary and original genius, “said Mr. Hartwich.
He added, “Where she is not good,” on the details of the policy, the details of the strategy, the implementation, the implementation, the evaluation, the details of all the general matters that come with the government. That’s where it falls short. “
For many voters this week, however, Mrs. Ardern’s clear skills in handling emergencies were more than enough.
Hamilton’s motel owner, 58-year-old Steve Cole, said he usually votes for the national party. She explained how Mrs. Arderne handled Christchurch attacks and epidemics, after uniting the country in times of life and death, when she voted Labor for the first time.
“I think Jacinda Ardern is the hallmark of everything a good leader should be,” Ms. Cole said.
Natasha Frost, from Rotorua, New Zealand contributed to the report. Yan Zhuang contributed research from Melbourne, Australia.
