ANALYSIS: At an event held in the margins of the world’s Parliament in New York, hours before leaders were frantically working to avert the spectre of a nuclear conflict, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she loves her job.
A few hours later, while answering questions from the press pack, a bystander yelled her love for Ardern.
Ardern’s charisma means she remains one of the most popular and recognisable politicians abroad, even as her popularity plummets at home.
Her global stardom shone brightly at the United Nations general assembly this week, evident in the warm response from other leaders and Prince William’s personal request that she take his speaking slot at an environment summit run by his charity, after his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s death meant he didn’t go.
Ardern says New Zealand’s strong reputation has been bolstered by its life-saving pandemic response, but shakes off the notion it’s tied to her celebrity status.
“Our reputation being so strong in this environment is really beneficial to us. At the same time there are very real challenges, and also within the global environment right now, that we are well-placed for.”
Those challenges take the form of multiple crises – climate, floods, drought, inflation, and general upheaval from the pandemic. A global energy crisis is more acutely affecting the United Kingdom, Germany and China.
New Zealand, heading into summer and with a tourism sector tentatively finding its feet again is not in such dire straits, she says.
However, some of her key points in her national statement to the general assembly may have rung hollow for New Zealanders’ watching from home, Dr Nina Hall, an international relations expert, explains.
While Ardern spoke of ensuring pandemic preparedness, it did not initially support a waiver for Covid-19 vaccine patents and the World Trade Organisation, only doing so when it followed the United States six months later.
”There is a mismatch between rhetoric and action,” she says.
“What I think is problematic is that she is being celebrated on an international [level] but we know New Zealand is not doing enough.”
This included on climate change. An independent climate action tracker has New Zealand as ‘highly insufficient’ behind even Australia.
Ardern did show the momentum behind her work with the Christchurch Call, Hall says, an area where New Zealand has something specific to offer. With French President Emmanuel Macron, Ardern announced funding for new research into how algorithms affect people’s online experiences, the first project under the Christchurch Call.
“It was an opportunity for Ardern to address issues of hate speech and extremist violence online and to work with social media companies, and while I don’t think it’s complete, what is important to note is that there is momentum behind this work,” Hall says.
Ardern also says the project is “ongoing” and there is still much to be done.
This year’s general assembly was significantly different to others, being the first time leaders have met in person since the start of the pandemic. Putin’s escalation of his war against Ukraine after suffering some humiliating losses “pulled the carpet out from under everyone”, Hall says.
While some, including US president Joe Biden, have called Moscow’s war on Ukraine “genocide”, Ardern – while rallying against it - has only called it “illegal” and “immoral". She has also promised more work on reforming the veto initiative on the security council.
Ardern’s celebrity began its ascent while Donald Trump was the US president, when her trademark mantra of kindness was seen as a counter to his more pugilistic style.
“People want to see successful and effective leaders, and a lot of people have seen that in Ardern,” Hall says.