Election 2026: Overseas media say result leaves next Government unclear
Brits dreaming of a better life Downunder have been served a grim summary of vibes on the streets of Wellington after an election that’ll take weeks to deliver a Government.
“New Zealand voted in a new Government as fog choked the capital, Wellington, yesterday – and the mood was as palpable as the grey weather”, the BBC wrote.
“It’s pretty flat,” 21-year-old Imogen Vlutger told the British news giant.
“There’s this kind of apathy and a bit of dread.”
Others talked of everyone being tired, or not bothering to vote – a man in his 40s confessing he couldn’t bring himself to tick any of the boxes.
A self-described “disillusioned” Wellingtonian described the capital as “a bit of a bubble”, but polling showed the sentiment was pervasive across the country, with the national mood low and faith in politics even lower, the BBC wrote.
“More than half the country no longer sees it as a land of opportunity, a recent study found, while a similar portion fears that the future looks even worse.
“Many Kiwis feel the economy is in ruins, there are no jobs, the cost of living has become sky-high, the sense of community that used to be a source of national pride is breaking down, and there’s no sense of genuine progress on policy solutions.”
Across the Tasman, Australia’s ABC began its report outlining the nail-biter the election next door had delivered.
“In the words of Labour leader Chris Hipkins, ‘New Zealand has spoken’, but exactly what it has said is anything but clear.”
Overseas media have found themselves facing the same head-scratcher as all of us after Kiwis went to the polls yesterday: who will lead New Zealand for the next three years?
The “exceptionally close race” showed “every vote really does count”, the ABC wrote.
“There is less than 1% separating the two major parties in New Zealand, and the direction of the vote is far from certain.”
Unsurprisingly, given Australia’s proximity to New Zealand and the chunky Kiwi diaspora across the Ditch, the Sydney Morning Herald treated readers to a thorough rundown of the results and what they might mean under MMP.
There was “no definitive victory for the right or left ... but the incumbent conservative Government hovered on the brink of a wafer-thin majority that could allow it to eke out a precarious return to power”, the Sydney Morning Herald’s AAP-bylined report said.
The unclear outcome was “punishing” for both National and Labour, after voters instead “bolstered power for minor parties on the ideological flanks, and propelled to office a centrist political newcomer, Qiulae Wong of the Opportunity Party”.
The magnitude of her party’s success was “still undecided”.
Last night’s election results also suggested a “shocking exit” from Parliament for some of National’s most senior figures, it wrote.
Meanwhile, Hipkins “hadn’t benefited much from [National leader Christopher] Luxon’s slumping popularity in pre-election opinion polling”.
“Analysts had suggested that economic woes, including inflation, living costs and unemployment – and apathy about the prime ministerships of either Luxon or Hipkins – would see minor parties grow in popularity.”
Britain’s Telegraph also noted economic angst coat-tailing into the ballot box.
“New Zealanders went to the polls to decide the next Government in an extremely tight election dominated by concerns about the cost of living.”
Luxon was confident his right-wing coalition had a path back to office, “despite the preliminary result of Saturday’s election suggesting no overall majority”, the Telegraph wrote.
“With all votes counted, Mr Luxon’s party and the centre-left Labour Party were essentially tied.”
However, National “looks to have the best chance of forming a Government, given its coalition options”, the Telegraph wrote.
The “knife-edge poll” had also drawn attention to New Zealand’s minor parties, notably parliamentary newcomer Opportunity, which could be “kingmaker in forthcoming negotiations”.
Earlier, the BBC reported an “inconclusive night for New Zealand”.
“The latest electoral commission data suggests a slight lead for National in overall votes,” it wrote around 3am NZT.
“But New Zealand’s electoral system often forces parties into coalition – which means Hipkins’ Labour Party may still take power.”
In the politically polarised United States, it was Luxon’s response to an impolite supporter that caught the Washington Post’s attention.
National’s leader admonished a supporter who appeared to boo when he congratulated his rivals on a “hard-fought race”, the Post wrote.
“We don’t do that here”, the Post wrote, quoting Luxon.
“It’s not the Kiwi way.”
Cherie Howie who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.