Compassionate trailblazer
RESIGNED
NEARLY SIX YEARS AFTER BEING SWORN in as New Zealand’s youngest ever Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation Jan. 19 amid declining Labor Party poll numbers and a divided political legacy. The 42-year-old had ruled out the prospect of seeking re-election in the fall, citing a sensation familiar to people the world over—burnout—after leading the nation of 5 million people through major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The liberal leader became a household name after her swift and compassionate response to the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, which left 51 people dead. That empathy was on display again in December of that year, when Ardern hugged first responders after a volcano erupted on Whakaari / White Island, killing 22 people. She also qualified as a role model to countless women when she followed in the footsteps of Pakistan’s for-f mer Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto by giving birth while in office.
Leading with her humanity at one point made Ardern the most popular New Zealand leader in a century, according to a May 2020 Newshub/Reid Research poll, and produced a level of international favor dubbed Jacindamania. But it may also be one reason she decided to leave.
“After going on six years of some big challenges, I am human,” she told reporters at a news conference in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, to announce her resignation. “Politicians are human. We give all that we can for
