With elections approaching, Simon Harris, who is expected to become Ireland’s youngest prime minister ever on Tuesday, will be counting on his social media prowess and newfound popularity to turn around his Fine Gael party’s declining fortunes.
The Irish prime minister, known as the “TikTok Taoiseach” (pronounced “Tee-shock”), is 37 years old. He has already been labeled by the media as such. He surpasses the previous record held by his predecessor, Leo Varadkar, who was 38 years old when he assumed the position in 2017.
Following the unexpected news of Varadkar’s resignation on March 20, Harris entered the contest to lead his center-right party and automatically become prime minister. Shortly afterward, he was chosen in an unopposed coronation to lead Fine Gael.
At the time, Harris assured party members he would demonstrate his gratitude for their faith by putting in “hard work, with blood, sweat, and tears, day in and day out with responsibility, with humility, and with civility.”
He followed up with a vow to “reset” and reenergize his party, taking it back to “core values” like as law and order, business, and farming at a weekend conference.
