Irish politician and higher education minister, Simon Harris, who had been a prominent figure in the Fine Gael party, is poised to take on the role of Ireland’s youngest prime minister as the leadership contest concluded with him emerging as the sole candidate. He has been a Teachta Dala (TD), which is a member of the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament).
He has held various ministerial positions within the Irish government, including the Minister for Health and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science.
Notably, the vacancy in leadership arose following the unexpected resignation of Taoiseach (Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland) Leo Varadkar.
Citing “personal and political reasons” just last week, Varadkar, who is partly Indian, had said, “I believe a new taoiseach will be better placed than me to achieve that – to renew and strengthen the top team, to refocus our message and policies, and to drive implementation. After seven years in office, I am no longer the best person for that job.”
Now, the 37-year-old, Harris, stood unopposed as nominations closed on Sunday (Mar 24).
However, his official appointment as Irish PM will not be before April 9 once the Irish parliament resumes post-Easter break.
Recognised for his adept communication skills, particularly evident on social media platforms, Harris has previously held various ministerial roles, notably as a health minister during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Watch | Iran’s ‘Gaza’ drone stuns international market
Despite commendation for his crisis management, Harris faced criticism for misinformation regarding the virus during an interview where he said, “Remember this is coronavirus Covid-19 – that means there have been 18 other coronaviruses and I don’t think they have actually successfully found a vaccine for any.”
Later, in another video he told his 1.4 million followers that he made “an awful boo-boo.”
“Don’t ask me how or why; I can only presume it’s a degree of cabin fever after being in this department on a very, very regular basis for the very last while – maybe a bit of sleep deprivation – I stupidly talked about there being 18 other coronaviruses, which of course there isn’t,” he said while apologising for the interview comments.
(With inputs from agencies)
