Ardern was elected prime minister in 2017, and in a tumultuous first term faced New Zealand's worst terror attack, a deadly volcanic eruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
File photo of Ardern who announced her resignation on Jan 19. Photo: Reuters
Just 37 years old at the time, she became the country's youngest prime minister since 1856 and a global icon for progressive politics. "This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life. But it has also had its challenges," Ardern, 42, said on Thursday. Her deft and compassionate response to the rampage of hate defined the charismatic centre-left leader's image around the world.
After completing a communications degree, Ardern began her political career in former prime minister Helen Clark's office before heading to Britain to work as a policy adviser in Tony Blair's government.
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