Prominent political and public figures in New Zealand have denounced the fact that the country’s prime minister, Labour’s Jacinda Ardern, who resigned unexpectedly on Thursday, has been subjected to „unprecedented” harassment and threats that have only increased in recent years, EFE reports, Agerpres reads.

Former New Zealand chief executive Helen Clark, the country’s first woman to hold such a post, said Ardern had faced an „unprecedented” level of attacks during her tenure, which began in 2017, as she later re-elected in 2020.

„The pressure on prime ministers is always great, but in the age of social media, clickbait and 24/7 news, Jacinda has been subjected to a level of hatred and harassment that, in the opinion of my, it’s unprecedented in our country,” Clark said after Ardern’s announcement.

For her part, the leader of the Maori Party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, qualified Ardern as „an exceptional leader” who „was removed from office because of the constant denigration” to which she was subjected.

„Her family has faced the worst possible attacks over the past two years,” Ngarewa-Packer charged.

On Thursday, Ardern surprised everyone when she announced that she would resign as prime minister no later than February 7, citing that she no longer had the „energy” to continue, but also referring to the abuse directed at her and her family, which represented a „decisive factor” in her decision.

New Zealand police reported in June last year that threats against Ardern had almost tripled in the past three years, partly due to the anti-vaccine movement – which staged mass protests in 2022 – and opposition to legislation to regulate firearms following the 2019 Christchurch bombing.

Agerpres