Dublin: Simon Harris, at the age of 37, has made history by becoming Ireland’s youngest ever prime minister, succeeding his party colleague Leo Varadkar. Harris steps into the role with less than a year to bolster the coalition government’s efforts to prevent a potential electoral victory by the left-wing Sinn Fein.
The former health and higher education minister, widely recognized for his instrumental role in navigating the country’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic, was elected unopposed as the new leader of Fine Gael last month. This followed Varadkar’s unexpected departure from the position.
Harris, who made the decision to leave university at the age of 20 to pursue a career as a political aide, swiftly rose through the ranks. Elected to parliament at the age of 24, he was appointed to the cabinet before turning 30.
In his speech at Saturday’s Fine Gael annual conference, Harris outlined his priorities for his tenure as prime minister. He emphasized a focus on law and order, supporting small businesses, and reestablishing connections with rural voters. Harris’s ascent to the premiership represents a generational shift in Irish politics and signals a renewed direction for Fine Gael under his leadership.