Events

Prime Minister

Next date: Jul 26, 2025 - click here for time schedule - English

To rule is easy. To lead is hard.

A view inside the life of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, capturing her through five tumultuous years in power and beyond as she redefined leadership on the world stage.

In August 2017, in the lead-up to national elections, Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand's opposition party leader. She had just turned 37. Two frenetic months later, she was Prime Minister. Just before the final vote was in, she discovered she was pregnant. She would become only the second head of state in history to give birth while in office.

Ardern quickly became one of the most recognizable leaders in the world. She drew global attention from people craving a sensitive and compassionate approach to the critical issues of our time. In private, she struggled with being a mother and proving herself to a public skeptical of women's leadership. A series of crises the Christchurch massacre, pandemic lockdowns, and disinformation-fueled protests outside Parliament would test that leadership and the feminine touch she brought to it. She resigned from office in January 2023, shocking her supporters and critics alike.