A Good Wokeism resign, set a really high bar standard: Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern

Last 72 hours is a big bang from (good) female wokeism around the world. Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (her birthday is Jan 3rd, shares the same date with Michael Schumacher – just 16 days ago) is unbothered as she’s detained by local Polizei (Police) in Germany following a protest over the expansion of a coal mine in Lützerath. Nobel Laureate Maria Angelita Ressa was acquitted of tax evasion, a rare victory in her fight to keep her own “intact media” Rappler in the Philippines. Sanna Mirella Marin, Finnish PM, in Davos (World Economic Forum) pushes again commitment from the West to make sure Ukraine will gain victory over Russia. And 5 hours ago, abruptly, Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, NZ Prime Minister, stepped down. 

Ardern will stand down no later than February 7th, saying she ‘no longer had enough in the tank’ to do the job. She will continue as an MP until the election later this year (Oct 14th).

In Week 1st December 2022, support for Ardern was down to 29 per cent, marking her worst approval rating since coming into office in 2017, and slowly bridging the gap for Nationals leader Christopher Mark Luxon as preferred prime minister. Ardern's political party, Labour Party has dropped one per cent to a 33 per cent primary vote, behind the National Party - Labour's main opposition - leads on 38 per cent.

But her popularity is still outstanding, maybe because there are still too few females in the global spotlight really brave enough to speak up for everything.

Ardern already set a brave - tone statement about covid, China, Russia, gun-owner, combatting Islamophobia, etc. Sadly, she has not yet visited Jakarta since becoming PM (Albanese Australia already visited Indonesia only less than 2 weeks after being sworn to be Australian PM). Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo met with Ardern on the sideline of the 29th APEC (November 18th). Although electability at home is really low(est) so far today, with popularity still really high, with fact she stepped down abruptly, she set a new standard to come out to resign when still very popular. Good example for other Leaders (President, PM, Chancellor) in the world if she/he feels ratings, electability, and popularity are already low.

Although her stepping down is surprising, actually she’s prepared better: she decided not to travel to Davos WEF. A lot of leaders use WEF to attract investment. For example, nearly all Sultanate(s)/Emir(s) in the Middle East attend WEF this year. Scholz Germany and Ukraine First Lady Olenka attended too alongside Finland’s Marin. Even Bongbong Marcos attended too (*Philippines Ease Doing Business: ranking 98th). Ardern don't rush to attract investment perhaps: several years in a row, New Zealand has ranked number one in the world for ease of doing business (World Bank, Doing Business Report). 

There are many domestic issues, but it appears she also refused to support the US's dangerous and ever more escalating anti-China policy, dragging FIVE-eyes NZ into a future conflict. June 2022 (alongside SK Yoon Seok-yeol, Australia Anthony Norman Albanese, Kishida Fumio of Japan), in New Zealand’s first formal address to Nato, Ardern dedicated part of her speech to warning of Beijing’s increasingly muscular international presence. Ardern has urged democratic nations to stand firm as China becomes “more assertive” and “willing to challenge international rules and norms,” in New Zealand’s first-ever formal address to NATO. New Zealand has toughened its tone recently on security and Beijing’s growing presence in the South Pacific, in part due to the signing of a security pact between China and Solomon Islands.

Her rise to power was initially widely celebrated around the world. She became one of the world's youngest female head of government at age 37 (* born July 26, 1980 in Hamilton, New Zealand, 520 km from Wellington and 123 km from Auckland), before Sanna Mirella Marin (taking office at the age of 34) beat Ardern. 

However, there was consternation in Washington DC in April 2021, when her government admitted that it was “uncomfortable” using the “FIVE EYES” intelligence grouping, a network of spies, to amplify criticism of China. FIVE EYES other members are the US, Britain, Australia and Canada. She’s uncomfortable since 2021 about DC intervention in the China issue using FIVE EYES, regardless in 2022 she (finally) already uncomfortable too about China. 7 Month after minor spat, in November 2021, she reassured, Ardern expressed support for Five Eyes alliance with Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States, but said her country would also consider other economic alliances in the Pacific region.

New Zealand declined to support Langley-composed statements condemning China for 'killing' Hong Kong and so on. They said that intelligence groups (that is, organizations with disinformation in their job descriptions) were clearly not the best forums to voice such concerns. New Zealand's foreign minister, Nanaia Cybele Mahuta, was widely praised in Asia for speaking out. However, she was condemned by western governments and the international press.

Only (exactly) 5 weeks after harsh remarks to China by Ardern in Madrid’s NATO Summit (June 29th 2022), On August 4, 2022 local time, former Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (since Dec 30th replaced by Qin Gang) met with Nanaia Cybele Mahuta on the sidelines of the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh. Wang Yi said since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than 50 years ago, China-New Zealand relations have progressed in a sound and stable manner, making great achievements and delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the two sides have approached and advanced bilateral relationship from a long-term and strategic perspective, making sure it stands at the forefront of China’s relations with developed countries. History and facts have proven that mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the important experience in the development of China-New Zealand relations and the "golden rule" for engagement between countries.

But before the NATO Summit, track back again her timeline bilateral meeting, the tiny country’s moment of self-assertion disappeared under pressure from Washington DC. On 1 June 2022 (4 weeks before NATO Summit), Arden met with Biden and issued a joint statement in which China was declared to be solely to blame for issues in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan. New Zealand’s international relationships have followed U.S. requirements. Again, the NZ national election has been set for October 14th, 2023.

She thanked her partner, Clarke Gayford, and daughter Neve, whom she gave birth to while holding office, as “the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us”.

“To Neve: mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke – let’s finally get married.”

Australian Albanese immediately praised Ardern “Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me.”