Simon Harris was elected leader of Ireland's center-right Fine Gael party on Sunday, making the 37-year-old the new Prime Minister of Ireland and the youngest leader in the country's history. .
“It is the honor of my life to lead this great party,” said Simon Harris, who was the only candidate in this internal election, triggered by the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Wednesday, a few weeks before the elections. European elections and one year from the scheduled date of the legislative elections.
With Fine Gael and its government coalition partners Fianna Fail and the Green Party forming a majority in the Irish parliament, Simon Harris could become, on April 9 when parliament resumes, the Prime Minister of Ireland, a member country of the EU, which has five million inhabitants.
Simon Harris, until now Minister of Higher Education, will thus be the youngest “taoiseach” (pronounced “tee-shock” – a Gaelic word for “chief” or “leader”) in the history of Ireland.
His victory was announced at a party convention in Athlone, west Dublin.
A dazzling career
The spectacular accession of Simon Harris to the post of leader of Fine Gael and Prime Minister crowns a dazzling political career.
Born in 1986, he grew up in a small town near Dublin.
He became interested in politics while campaigning for disability services for his autistic brother.
He joined Fine Gael's youth wing at the age of 16, was elected to parliament at the age of 24 in 2011 and was appointed Minister of Health in 2016, aged just 29.
“Proudly pro-European”
In his first speech as party leader, Simon Harris said it was “the time for Fine Gael to renew its commitment to the people”.
“There is a lot to do in the coming months,” he said.
“I will bring energy and renewal to this party,” he said.
He promised to support businesses, “especially small businesses” and “make work pay.”
He said he was “proudly pro-European”.
On the subject of immigration, he promised to "move to a more planned and sustainable model, to a fair and firm system" as criticism grows louder against the government's policy on asylum seekers. .
Looking for new support
Simon Harris will have to tackle difficult subjects like the housing crisis and the homeless crisis.
He will also have to find new support for his party, which is in third position in the polls.
Ireland will vote on June 7 for local and European elections.
The next legislative elections must take place by March 2025.
Fine Gael fell to third place in the last general elections in 2020, far behind the largest party, Sinn Fein (left-wing nationalist), the former political wing of the IRA (the Irish Republican Army), which is still leading the polls.