(Adnkronos) – The political elections in New Zealand are expected to be among the most contested in recent decades. Tomorrow, voters will be called to the polls to renew Parliament and decide whether to confirm the conservative government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon or bring the Labour party, led by former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, back to power after three years. The electoral campaign primarily focuses on economic stagnation, the rising cost of living, and unemployment, which has climbed to 5.7%, the highest level in 11 years. Polls indicate a wide-open contest, with the two main parties struggling compared to the past and an increasingly fragmented political landscape. According to the latest survey published by Infrastructure New Zealand, Labour is ahead with 30.7% of the votes, against 26.4% for Luxon’s National Party. A result that, if confirmed at the polls, could pave the way for a change of government after just one term, an event that has not occurred in the country for almost half a century.
Making the outcome of the vote even more uncertain is the rise of minor parties, favored by New Zealand’s proportional electoral system, which makes the formation of coalition governments common. The main novelty is represented by the Opportunity Party, a centrist formation led by 38-year-old Qiulae Wong, a former business consultant in the sustainability sector and mother of two, who entered politics just a year ago after responding to an advertisement for a new party leader. With a program that seeks to reconcile pro-business policies and environmental awareness, proposing, among other things, a land tax and a universal basic income, Opportunity is credited with 5.1% of the votes, just above the threshold required to enter Parliament. If it manages to cross it, ‘Q’ could become the kingmaker for the formation of the next government, having expressed willingness to negotiate with both the center-right and the center-left. Luxon, however, has ruled out an agreement with the centrist party, a position that could complicate the formation of a majority if neither of the two blocs obtains the necessary seats to govern.
The current center-right coalition, composed of the National Party, the libertarian Act party, and Winston Peters’ nationalist New Zealand First, aims to continue with market-friendly economic policies and a more restrictive stance on immigration and some social issues, including those related to the rights of the indigenous Maori population. On the opposite front, Labour could seek an agreement with the Greens and other progressive formations, which propose higher taxation on high incomes and large corporations to fund public spending. With nearly 1.67 million voters having already cast their ballots early, over a third of those eligible, the first results are expected Saturday morning, after polls close at 7 PM local time (7 AM in Italy). However, the composition of the next government could remain uncertain for weeks, pending the final results and any negotiations between the parties.
