My favorite prime minister

 

David Rowland/EPA, via Shutterstock

6. Three years ago, Jacinda Ardern was a last-minute choice to lead New Zealand’s Labour Party. On Saturday, the prime minister cruised to re-election.

After managing the responses to the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attacks and the White Island volcano eruption, and implementing a “go hard, go early,” approach that has effectively stamped out the pandemic from her country — all while navigating the birth of her first child — Ms. Ardern has become a global standard-bearer for a compassionate brand of progressive politics.

“We will govern as we campaigned — positively,” Ms. Ardern said in her acceptance speech, adding: “We will build back better from the Covid crisis. This is our opportunity.”