Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken publicly about the intense pressures of political life, drawing parallels with the experiences of Scotland’s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. During a discussion event at the Glasgow Film Theater,Ardern described the relentless demands of the role and how it impacted her energy levels,prompting her eventual resignation.
Ardern’s comments come as her recently completed documentary, A Different Kind of Power, prepares for a nationwide cinema release on December 5th. The film, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, offers a candid look into her premiership and the challenges she faced. Her reflections on the exhausting nature of high office resonate as political leaders globally grapple with increasing scrutiny and rapid response cycles.
Speaking with Kezia dugdale, Ardern explained that five years in office felt like ten due to the constant cycle of crisis and response. “You’re in an environment where the news will break in the early morning, you need a response by mid-morning, you need to have solved it by mid-afternoon,” she said.”Otherwise there’ll be that instantaneous reaction and then that demand for political responses.” She added that she found herself dedicating all her energy to politics, ultimately realizing, “It wasn’t the right place to spend my energy. I couldn’t unshackle that.”
Ardern further questioned whether nicola Sturgeon had experienced a similar strain within the political system. She also revealed that her memoir was nearly titled Fortitude, a nod to her Scottish clan Macrae heritage and their motto, Fortitudine - Latin for “with fortitude.” Ardern shared that her grandmother was from Bathgate,West lothian,and she intends to visit the town during her trip to Scotland. The Glasgow event marked Ardern’s only in-person screening of the Prime Minister documentary outside of London.
