Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister who surprised the world: Public life has become dehumanized'

"In a time when reality often seems like an improbable dystopia, Jacinda Ardern, 45, gives the impression of arriving from another world. A world that championed the idea that power could be wielded differently. A world where empathy wasn't a weakness, but a strength. A world that fell in love with the governing style of the young prime minister of a small, remote country, almost invisible on the news map, the antithesis of the hyper-masculine leadership that prevails today."

"She resigned in 2023, after serving for six years, because she no longer had enough in the tank. She announced her resignation with a trembling voice at a press conference that went viral. Almost three years later, the former prime minister of New Zealand arrives punctually for the interview wearing a beige trench coat, barely any makeup, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, a gold heartshaped pendant, and a coffee in her hands."

"After her time at Harvard University, where she shared her experience with students and professors at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, she is now promoting spaces for debate on governance and leadership linked to the University of Oxford. She has published a memoir (A Different Kind of Power) in which she delves into areas rarely explored by political leaders: motherhood, insecurities, doubts, the psychological toll of power."

Jacinda Ardern projected an empathetic, unorthodox leadership style that contrasted with prevailing hyper-masculine models. She served six years as prime minister of New Zealand and resigned in 2023 because she no longer had enough in the tank, announcing it with a trembling voice. She presents a modest, approachable public persona and continues to engage in academic reflection. She worked at Harvard and now promotes governance and leadership debate linked to Oxford. She published a memoir, A Different Kind of Power, that examines motherhood, insecurities, doubts, the psychological toll of power, relentless pressure, vulnerability, and contradictions in leadership.

Read at english.elpais.com