Being the “merchant of doom” during Covid-19 has not been easy, the Prime Minister says.
In an interview with TVNZ’s Sunday programme, airing tonight, Jacinda Ardern opens up about the weight of leading the country during Covid.
“It’s one thing to make a big decision a week, but with Covid, it was constant,” she said.
In an interview with TVNZ’s Sunday programme, Jacinda Ardern opens up about the weight of leading the country during Covid.
“It got to the point where sleep came to you out of sheer exhaustion.”
Before she became the Prime Minister in 2017, Ardern spoke publicly about her experience with anxiety. During Covid, she says, her decisions were often painstaking.
“Sometimes I would just take really long walks, thinking about the consequences. If we got it wrong on this side of the equation, [what were] the consequences, versus on this side… Did I spend a lot of time angsting over decisions? Absolutely.”
Ardern says she’s reluctant to put the spotlight on her own feelings because other Kiwis have had a much more difficult time.
“In the last two years, I’ve heard stories from families and individuals, talking about the impact of Covid on them – stories that have been really devastating... All of my personal experience, in many ways, feels very trivial compared to that.”
In recent weeks, however, there has been growing attention on the abuse and harassment faced by Ardern and other female politicians.
A fortnight ago, a man was sentenced to one year in prison for threatening to kill the Prime Minister.
While Ardern says she is “pretty resilient”, she disconnects from social media at times, if she isn’t in the headspace to be exposed to vitriol.
In a wide-ranging interview, Ardern was also asked about the social divisions caused by vaccine mandates, the gaps in her communication strategy, and the claim that she is not listening to heartland New Zealand.
Watch the full story on Sunday, TVNZ1 7.30pm or OnDemand.
Find this story interesting? Follow Sunday on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
SHARE ME