“Be strong, and be kind.” The prime minister’s words came at the close of a hastily scheduled press conference, announcing New Zealand’s first lockdown in the face of an unknown and deadly virus. For many New Zealanders, they became a catchphrase of the early pandemic, when the country succeeded in eliminating the coronavirus within its borders.
Over the coming years, they became synonymous with Jacinda Ardern’s politics – for her admirers, encapsulating a signature mixture of empathy and strength, and for critics, soaring rhetoric not always backed by legislative reforms.
In 2017, Ardern became the world’s youngest serving female leader, and went on to make history as the second woman to give birth while holding elected office. Last Thursday,
