New Zealand election leaves government formation uncertain for three weeks
Special votes from overseas could shift the balance of power between the two major blocs.
By Nikolai Morales ·
New Zealand will not know who leads the country for at least three weeks after Saturday's election failed to produce a clear winner. Neither the center-right National Party nor the center-left Labour Party secured a decisive mandate, forcing a long wait for final results. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his counterpart Chris Hipkins both face the challenge of negotiating a coalition with minor parties.
The political landscape shifted dramatically with the rise of Opportunity, a new party led by business consultant Qiulae Wong. Her group won seven seats in Parliament, a result that gives her significant power to influence the governing direction. Wong stated that she could work with either major bloc to form a government. This is the first time Opportunity has entered Parliament after three previous failed attempts.
Luxon's National Party currently holds a slim lead with 67 seats in a 131-seat Parliament, requiring only 66 for a majority. However, this margin is fragile because nearly 400,000 special votes remain to be counted. These ballots, which often favor left-leaning parties, include votes from New Zealanders living abroad. Electoral officials began counting these votes on Sunday, and the process is expected to take three weeks.
The major parties suffered a decline in public support, with National winning 29.21% of the party vote and Labour winning 29.36%. Both parties lost ground to smaller groups on the ideological flanks. ACT won 13 seats and New Zealand First won 12, both of which are now key players in the negotiation process. The Greens won 16 seats and Te Pāti Māori secured five, strengthening the left-wing bloc which currently holds 57 seats.
Luxon told reporters on Sunday that he is leading a caretaker government and urged the public to take a break from politics for the next three weeks. He suggested that National has a viable path to power, noting that his party secured the most seats of any single group. However, several senior National lawmakers, including the ministers of finance and defense, will exit politics following the election results.
Hipkins, who lost power in 2023, also faces a difficult path to the top. His Labour Party has fewer local constituency wins than National, resulting in fewer seats despite a similar party vote percentage. If the final tally does not give the left a majority, Hipkins will likely need support from Wong's Opportunity party to govern. Luxon previously ruled out negotiating with Wong but sidestepped questions on Sunday about whether his narrow lead had changed his mind.
