Jacinda Ardern’s departure is a testament to strength, perspective and personal choice

Stephen Levine is a professor of political science at Victoria University of Wellington and was the founder of the university’s School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations.

OPINION: Arrived as a “surprise” – “jacindamaniaalmost from the moment Jacinda Ardern rose to the limelight on August 1, 2017 as leader of the Labor Party – the The Prime Minister’s announced decision to resign adds an unexpected degree of symmetry to her political career, her departure was as surprising as her arrival.

Like John Key, she leaves office undefeated, at a day and time of her own choosing, displaying strength, perspective and personal choice.

She has a youthful image and appearance and leaves office after serving as Prime Minister for five years, serving as a Member of Parliament for 14 years, reaching the age of 42 – John F Kennedy, the youngest person ever elected President of the US, began his tenure at 43 – and she can rightly feel she has done her part, and more, in leading New Zealand through difficult and challenging times.

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All leaders face times when they or others (commentators, opponents, rivals, and colleagues) feel they have been welcome longer.

New Zealand’s “tall poppy” syndrome exacerbates such feelings, as there is an inevitable chance of resentment at another’s success, annoyance at the perceived excess of praise.

John Key left his office and indicated that he had given it all he had: “I gave everything I could for this job”.

“I just don’t have enough in the tank” – Jacinda Ardern’s unexpected announcement, which was as shocking as John Key’s in December 2016, revealed similar sentiments in almost identical language.

It is, of course, politically sound to see a leader gracefully leave office with “nothing left in the tank” instead of manipulating facts and figures, relying on insults and innuendo, in a desperate attempt to stay in power.

Politics can be an exhausting activity for everyone involved – politicians, political personnel, journalists, the public.

A successful leader, plagued by the annoying question “but what have you done for me lately?” may indeed feel he has had enough, a marathon runner embarked on an endless race.

If the Prime Minister is feeling somewhat exhausted, the electorate also seems a little exhausted – at least when it comes to politics – with the need for change.

That change will come soon enough. Will there be regrets then? That too – a melancholic nostalgia – can be part of a leader’s legacy.

Jacinda Ardern leaves office with leadership qualities untarnished. She remains, as she has been all along, a skilled communicator, focused, with an enviable understanding of policy details.

Her legacy will surely include an extraordinary international reputation, which will see her warmly welcomed in environments (academic, cultural, political) to which few of her colleagues – other heads of government – would likely be invited, and certainly not with the enthusiasm that Jacinda Ardern repeatedly generated.

It is sometimes said that “great” leaders need great challenges – economic, political, military – in order to achieve (or be perceived as having achieved) “greatness”.

To be seen as “extraordinary”, a political figure must have opportunities to go to. In this – unfortunately – Jacinda Ardern is much “blessed” (hardly the right word).

Her legacy in looking back at the Christchurch Mosque attacks; at the Whakaari/White Island eruption; during the Covid-19 pandemic (in which New Zealand had a total of 50 fatalities for almost two years, a number that was exceeded every day in many other countries), there will certainly be one in which excellence in “crisis management” was shown , day after day, for months, dealing with the unexpected, with life and death situations, demonstrating skill, determination and confidence.

This masterclass in grace under pressure – crisis management – ​​has not yet come to an end either.

Perhaps less noticeable to many, Jacinda Ardern has been a participant in what has become a global struggle since late February 2022, nations and their leaders wrestling with unenviable choices as a great power embarks on a military adventure in the territory of a neighboring country.

In this, as in other crises, Jacinda Ardern has been resolute, her rhetoric focused, consistent and forceful, her grip on reality unclouded.

From her words in Parliament at the outset, leading all sides in condemning the Russian invasion; to her speech to the NATO summit in June, in which she described Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “a war by Russia against all those who have a basic sense of humanity”; to her answer to President Zelensky when he addressed Parliament in December (“We are with you when you seek peace, and we will be with you when you rebuild”), the Prime Minister has candidly, with eloquence and determination, identified the moral, legal and political issues at stake and emphasizes.

Perhaps little of this would have garnered Labor votes in the forthcoming election. New Zealand foreign policy doesn’t often move voters.

Nevertheless, in this matter – Ardern’s fourth and final crisis as Prime Minister – by upholding New Zealand’s reputation as a country staunchly defending the rights of small states to peace and security, she has left a mark for others to reflect on. thinking as they go along. to lead this country as the world continues its search for tranquility, peace and a return to normalcy.

Professor Stephen Levine edited and contributed to Stardust and Substance: The New Zealand General Election of 2017 and Politics in a Pandemic: Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand’s 2020 Election.