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It was the first time a Finnish prime minister visited a New Zealand prime minister, and the most notable moment of the trip was when they answered questions about their ages at a news conference.
Jacinda Ardern, who has led New Zealand since 2017, hosted Finland’s leader since 2019, Sanna Marin, in Auckland on Wednesday. In a joint statement, the two prime ministers said they discussed Ukraine’s sovereignty, the climate crisis and their concerns about Iranian women and girls. So they were taken aback when a reporter at the joint news conference suggested that they met because they were both young women.
“Of course we have a higher percentage of men in politics, that’s a reality,” Ardern said. “Because two women meet, not just because of their gender.”
A reporter from New Zealand talk show Newstalk ZB asked the two leaders, “A lot of people would think, did you two meet because you’re about the same age and you have a lot in common – when you’ve got into politics and stuff – or that Kiwis really We can look forward to seeing more deals between our two countries.” A representative for Newstalk ZB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ardern was the first to respond in a video that has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on Twitter. “My first question was, ‘I wonder if anyone has asked Barack Obama And John Key, if they met because they were about the same age,” she said.
“I wonder if anyone has asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because of their similar age?”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin were quick to silence a reporter who suggested they meet because they were both women and “about the same age “. pic.twitter.com/xV1jvUbodW
– Now this (@nowthisnews) December 1, 2022
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Key met with former US President Barack Obama several times during their tenure. They have played golf together at least once since leaving the post.
According to UN Women, women are currently heads of state in 13 countries. New Zealand’s first female prime minister took office in 1997; Finland’s first female president in 2000.
Both Ardern, 42, and Marin, 37, highlighted the existing and potential partnership between the two countries as a central reason for their meeting. Marin described a particular interest in diversifying Finland’s technological resources, while Ardern referred to the “huge potential” for each country’s respective exports.
“We meet because we are prime ministers,” Marin said. “We have a lot in common, but also a lot that we can do more together.”
Ardern said she hoped the meeting would help both countries take advantage of economic opportunities.
“People don’t know much about the depth or potential of this relationship,” she said, “but it’s our job to advance it, regardless of our gender.”
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