Ireland’s former further and higher education minister Simon Harris is set to become the country’s youngest-ever premier after securing the leadership of the Fine Gael party, Associated Press reports.
Harris, 37, was the sole candidate to replace Leo Varadkar, who resigned unexpectedly, and is expected to be formally elected as prime minister in early April. In his victory speech, Harris pledged to fight against populist forces, reaffirmed Fine Gael’s pro-European stance, condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Varadkar, who served two terms as taoiseach, played significant roles in legalizing same-sex marriage and repealing the abortion ban. He also navigated Ireland through the challenges of Brexit.
