Labour Party Leader Jacinda Ardern, 37, Becomes Prime Minister of New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern is poised to become the new prime minister of New Zealand.CreditMarty Melville/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

37-year-old Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand on Thursday, being an end to the center-right National Party's nine-year control of governing in the nation. Ardern becomes New Zealand's youngest leader in more than 150 years.  According to the New York Times:

Ms. Ardern’s ascension represents a remarkable rise for a woman who just months ago became Labour’s youngest leader ever, setting off “Jacindamania” among the party’s followers. Unconventional and described by colleagues as intensely focused, she has defied the norms of New Zealand politics and refused to be pinned down on whether she has considered having children, saying no male politician would be forced to answer that question.

The coalition assembled by Ardern is unorthodox and does require her to deal with the populist party New Zealand First. Read on for the whole story.