Irish Parliament To Confirm Simon Harris As New PM

Dublin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Apr, 2024) Simon Harris will be formally appointed as Ireland's prime minister by parliament on Tuesday, replacing Leo Varadkar after he abruptly quit last month citing personal and political reasons.

The centre-right Fine Gael party -- part of a three-party governing coalition -- selected the 37-year-old Harris as leader following an uncontested election after Varadkar's resignation.

Pledging to re-energise and "reset" his party, Harris told a weekend conference of its members that he plans to steer it back towards "core values" like promoting business, farming, and law and order.

Harris will become Ireland's youngest ever "taoiseach" -- a Gaelic word for "chieftain" or "leader" pronounced "tee-shock" -- beating Varadkar, who was 38 when he took the role in 2017.

Varadkar, who was in his second stint as prime minister and at 45 still one of Europe's youngest leaders, said when he resigned he felt he was no longer the "best person" to lead the country.

"Politicians are human beings. We have our limitations," he said on March 20 in Dublin, surrounded by his Fine Gael cabinet colleagues.

"We give it everything until we can't any more and then we have to move on," he added.

Harris' crowning as prime minister caps a meteoric political rise.

He joined the youth branch of Fine Gael at the age of 16 and quickly rose through its ranks.

A county councillor at the age of 22, he was elected to parliament as a 24-year-old in 2011.

At the time he was the youngest MP and was nicknamed "Baby of the Dail" (Irish parliament).

He was appointed health minister in 2016 aged just 29 and higher education minister in 2020.

Even critics concede he is a talented communicator.