Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s education and police minister and a key architect of that country’s response to Covid-19, is the Labor Party’s choice to become prime minister following Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation on Thursday.
Hipkins’ nomination, approved by the centre-left party’s political convention and announced Saturday morning in New Zealand (Friday evening in Portugal) by Labor, should be formalized on Sunday.
Hipkins was the only MP appointed to the post, after attempting to reach consensus and ensure a smooth transition.
An experienced and ruthless member of the House of Representatives, as well as an intimate insider in the government machinery, Hipkins faces the greatest challenge of his political career as he directs the destiny of the country and convinces New Zealanders to give the Labor Party a to give new impetus. term in the post-Ardern.
The current education minister has been the face of the strategy to eradicate covid-19 in New Zealand, appearing weekly to report on the evolution of the pandemic.
Jacinda Ardern was chosen to lead the country at just 37 years old, following the surprise resignation of centre-right leader John Key, becoming New Zealand’s youngest prime minister since 1856 and a symbol of progressivism, with strong left-wing ideas.
After winning a second term in office, thanks to the Labor Party’s landslide victory in the 2020 parliamentary election, Ardern has experienced a decline in popularity in recent years, attributed to several causes: deteriorating economic situation, declining confidence in his government, resurgence of the opposition conservative.
In recent months, the prime minister could no longer hide her irritation at the fierce opposition from the right and signs of political wear and tear have begun to be noticed.
The first major trial by fire came 18 months after taking office as prime minister, when New Zealand was hit by a terrorist attack: a white supremacist opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 and injuring 40.
Ardern’s response was praised worldwide for her empathy, especially when she appeared wearing a scarf around her head as she offered her condolences to Muslim families.
Ardern was also praised for her political assertiveness as she pushed through restrictions on gun use and forced major tech companies to crack down on hate speech on social media.
His health policy against the Covid-19 pandemic, which led the Prime Minister to close the archipelago’s borders, was also greatly appreciated by New Zealanders.
She was also the second world leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto, and caused a stir when she took her three-month-old daughter Neve to the United Nations in September 2018.
Source: DN
