Chris Hipkins has been named as New Zealand’s new leader.

Chris Hipkins, a former minister for COVID-19 in New Zealand, has been appointed the nation's new prime minister. Hipkins was the only candidate to succeed the charismatic Jacinda Ardern, who shocked the country last week by announcing her resignation as prime minister after more than five years in office. Hipkins received the unanimous support of lawmakers from the ruling Labour Party on Sunday. On Wednesday, Hipkins, 44, will be formally sworn into his new position. Less than nine months will pass before he runs in a difficult general election in which opinion polls show that his party is falling behind the conservative opposition. Hipkins stated at a press conference announcing his appointment that "this is the biggest privilege and biggest responsibility of my life." "The challenge that lies ahead excites and energizes me." Hipkins praised Ardern's leadership right away, describing her as one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers and a role model for women and girls worldwide. He claimed that she "gave voice to those frequently ignored in times of challenge and deliberately went about doing politics differently." The abuse Ardern endured, however, serves as a reminder that "we still have a long way to go to ensure that women in leadership receive the same respect as their male counterparts," he continued. Known as "Chippy," Hipkins established a track record for proficiency in combating COVID and served as Ardern's go-to man when other cabinet ministers were having issues. He was first elected to the legislature in 2008, and he rose to fame by leading the government's response to the pandemic. Prior to becoming the COVID response minister at the end of the year, he was appointed health minister in July 2020. Carmel Sepuloni, the first deputy prime minister of Pacific descent from New Zealand, was appointed by Hipkins. Sepuloni, 46, resides in Auckland and is of Samoan, Tongan, and European ancestry. She has a number of portfolios, including those for arts, culture, and heritage as well as social development and employment. A working-class girl from a small New Zealand town becoming deputy prime minister, she claimed, was "very hard to fathom." Sepuloni stated, "I want to acknowledge the significance of this for our Pacific community. I represent generations of New Zealanders with mixed heritage and am proud to be Samoan, Tongan, and European. Sepuloni reported that she had already been inundated with inspirational messages about yet another glass ceiling being broken. The remaining members of Hipkins' team would be revealed later, he said. The new leader claimed that he has noticed how much attention the media gives to Ardern's personal life and that he wants to shield his two young children and his family from the spotlight. He claimed that his wife and he made the decision to live apart a year ago. She is still my best friend, but we chose that course of action for the sake of our family, he said. According to local polls, Hipkins was the most well-liked potential candidate. Early on in her five-and-a-half-year term, Ardern enjoyed popularity; however, as a result of backlash against strict COVID curbs, rising living expenses and mortgage rates, and worries about crime, her ratings began to decline. Hipkins faces a difficult road ahead as Labour trails the opposition in polls and the nation is predicted to enter a recession the following quarter before the October 14 general election.