IT WAS hard to imagine she could become even more popular than she was when sworn in as prime minister three years ago.
Even then pundits called it Jacindamania – the wave of adoration that swept across New Zealand when she took over as the No 1 citizen of her country.
But Jacinda Ardern, the youngest Kiwi prime minister in 150 years, has achieved what few politicians across the globe have in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
She’s not only kept down crisis levels in the nation of some five million people but also seen her popularity soar at home and abroad thanks to the special brand of leadership she’s shown, especially in recent weeks.
The New York Times calls it The Jacinda Method – and it’s a heady mix of clarity and compassion that’s worked well for the 39-year-old as the coronavirus crisis rages on.
“She quickly became a leader who could talk policy from a podium, dress down a sexist commentator on camera, or post a Facebook video encouraging a rugby team while a cat on her lap struggled against a plastic collar the size of a lampshade,” the newspaper’s Damien Cave writes.
“Pandemics are often described as crises of communication, when leaders must persuade entire populations to suspend their lives because of an invisible threat. Watching Ms Ardern on Facebook – her favoured conduit – is a lesson in rhetorical blending: epidemiology brightened with empathy, law leavened with mom jokes. And it’s been strikingly effective.”
She recently showed New Zealanders again that she has nerves of steel when an earthquake struck during a live TV interview.
This story is from the 11 June 2020 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 11 June 2020 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
Kourtney Kardashian and other celebs are honouring the glory of new moms' postpartum bodies
LEON'S ORDEAL IS NO JOKE
Pain has dominated entertainer Leon Schuster's life after a serious back injury landed him in bed. But despite being depressed he remains hopeful he will recover so he can get back to work
'BREAK THE SILENCE'
That's the message of the Scottish comedian who turned his experience of stalking and sexual abuse into a hit Netflix show
A PLACE OF HOPE AND HEALING
Damaged people and abused dogs find a safe haven and a chance to start again at this farm in the Cape Winelands
FROM SPERM DONOR TO DAD OF 37
Peter Ellenstein's life took an unexpected turn when a message from a daughter he never knew he had led to him meeting dozens of his children and exploring what it means to be a father without ever having raised them
GRATEFUL FOR EVERY BREATH
A double lung transplant has given this chef a second chance at life - and he'll never forget the young man who made it possible
THE GAMES ARE GO!
Preparations are well under way in the City of Lights for the world's greatest sporting spectacle
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT
We break down what the new rules are and what to expect for the seventh national elections later this month
TOM'S A TOP GIFTER
He's known to go ALL OUT for his movies and stunts, so it's no surprise TOM CRUISE also PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS for his friends when it comes to GIFTS
TAMING THE BEAST
Recognising and managing your anger can make for a happier and healthier you
