Hundreds of people cheered for Jacinda Ardern when she left New Zealand’s parliament as prime minister on Wednesday, before Chris Hipkins was swiftly sworn in as her replacement.
Ardern admitted last week that she no longer had “enough in the tank” after steering the country through natural catastrophes, the country’s worst-ever terror attack, and the COVID-19 outbreak.
Hipkins was sworn in by Governor-General Cindy Kiro during a ceremony in the capital Wellington, saying he was “energised and enthused about the challenges ahead.”
“This is the greatest honour and responsibility I’ve ever had,” he remarked.
The 44-year-old is now charged with turning around the government’s dwindling popularity, which has been plagued by a failing economy and a rising conservative opposition.
Ardern made her final public appearance as prime minister earlier on Wednesday, stepping out of the Beehive parliament building to a spontaneous burst of applause from hundreds of staff and onlookers.
Prince William was among the first to express his congratulations to Ardern.
“Thank you, Jacinda Ardern, for your friendship, leadership, and support over the years, especially through my grandmother’s passing,” he said on Twitter.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens, a folk artist who performed a performance in commemoration of the 51 people murdered in the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting, also lauded Ardern.
He referred to Ardern as a “supporter of the peace train who kept New Zealanders together following the horrific incident in Christchurch” on Twitter.
Ardern was elected prime minister for the first time in 2017, riding a wave of “Jacindamania” to a landslide win in 2020.
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