Simon Harris, the youngest prime minister in Ireland’s history, was chosen by the parliament to take Leo Varadkar’s unexpected departure last month.
Parliamentarians cheered on Tuesday after Harris’s nomination was approved 88-69, having won the backing of the Green Party and Fianna Fail, two of his coalition’s allies.
Days after Varadkar’s shocking resignation, the 37-year-old former minister of health and higher education—best known for guiding Ireland’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic—was elected head of the center-right Fine Gael party last month without facing any opposition.
Harris declared, “I do accept this nomination to serve as taoiseach [prime minister].” “I pledge to do everything within my power to uphold the confidence you have bestowed upon me.”
Recognizing the coalition partners in his new administration who backed his election, Harris stated that he plans to lead “in the spirit of unity, collaboration, and mutual respect.”
At a party conference over the weekend, Harris vowed to revitalize and “reset” his party, directing it back toward “core values” such as advancing law and order, business, and agriculture.
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