Luxon Faces Leadership Challenge Ahead of New Zealand Election

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called an urgent meeting of National Party lawmakers to discuss leadership speculation ahead of the November 7 general election.

Luxon said in a post on X that he had been made aware of increased media reports and conversations about his leadership, leading him to convene an in-person meeting for Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in Wellington.

The move comes after Luxon's leadership was put under scrutiny following a series of public missteps, including a recent radio interview where he suggested holding a referendum on the country's electoral system without discussing it with party colleagues.

Luxon has been prime minister since late 2023 and his National Party formed a coalition government with New Zealand First and ACT after the election that year. However, support for National has weakened as the economic recovery has struggled to gain momentum, with unemployment rising to 5.6% in the June quarter and annual inflation at 4.1%, above the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's target range.

New Zealand media have named lawmakers Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford as possible successors to Luxon if a leadership change were to occur.