Ireland is set to welcome its youngest Prime Minister in history, dubbed the 'TikTok leader'

At only 37 years old, Simon Harris is poised to make his mark in Irish political history as the youngest Taoiseach (Prime Minister) the country has ever seen. Following a leadership race within his party, Fine Gael, Harris emerged as the sole candidate, paving the way to Ireland's highest political office.

The island's political landscape was shaken by the surprising resignation of Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, announced last week for "personal and political reasons." This announcement left a power vacuum that Harris, the current Minister for Education, is ready to fill on April 9th, when the Dáil - the Irish Parliament - reconvenes after the Easter break and is expected to grant him confidence.

"In many ways, my career has been a bit odd," Harris had remarked in an interview with Hot Press magazine in 2022. "Life came at me a lot faster than I expected it to," he added, words that now sound prophetic. Not only his young age but also his communicative talent have made Harris a central figure in the Irish political landscape. With over 1.4 million likes on TikTok, staggering figures for a politician of the nation, he has earned the nickname "TikTok Taoiseach," demonstrating a thorough understanding of the language of the digital generation.

His political involvement has deep roots that extend far beyond the confines of social media: his career began at a very young age when he dedicated himself to a campaign for autism services, inspired by his brother, who is on the spectrum. Joining Fine Gael at just 16, Harris quickly rose through the ranks of the party, becoming a Wicklow county councilor at 22 and earning the nickname "Dáil's Baby" with his election to the Irish Parliament at only 24. His ascent peaked in 2016 when, at 29, he was appointed Minister for Health. He held this position for over three and a half years when he faced his greatest challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic. Two months later, with the new coalition government, he became Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science.

Despite Harris's popularity, many do not look to the future with optimism. Fine Gael, currently in government in coalition with the center Fianna Fáil and the Greens, has struggled to strengthen its electoral support. Recent defeats in two constitutional referendums have emphasized the impression of a government out of touch with reality. "A significant number of people are sick of Fine Gael and think it’s been in power too long," said Gary Murphy, professor of political science at Dublin City University, to the Financial Times. However, for the incoming Taoiseach, the best is yet to come. "You haven't seen anything yet," he assured