Ireland’s youngest Prime Minister, Simon Harris, officially took office on April 9th, succeeding Varadkar who abruptly resigned last month. Harris pledged to inject “new energy” into the country and first address the most pressing issue of housing for the people. However, observers point out that with less than a year until the next election, Harris may find it challenging to make significant progress during this period.
In the parliamentary vote on the 9th, Higher Education Minister Harris won the position of Prime Minister with 88 votes in favor and 69 votes against. President Michael Higgins signed the official appointment letter later that afternoon, making Harris the 16th Prime Minister of Ireland.
At the age of 37, Harris is the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Republic of Ireland.
His election also marks the first time Ireland has elected three Prime Ministers within one government term. Following the 2020 election where no party gained an absolute majority, the two major parties – Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – along with the smaller Green Party formed a coalition government, implementing a rotating Prime Minister system. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin first served as Prime Minister until December 2022, followed by Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar.
However, Varadkar’s sudden resignation on March 20th led to political newcomer Harris quickly gaining party support. With no competitors, he became the leader of Fine Gael and received the nomination for Prime Minister.
“As Prime Minister, I will bring new ideas, energy, and understanding to the lives of the people,” Harris stated in his speech following his election.
“Now is a good time to establish a new social contract, to reaffirm our commitment as a republic: to create equal opportunities, support those most in need, protect our hard-earned economic achievements, and deliver tangible results for society.”
In his first speech after election, the young Harris made nearly 30 promises, spanning from sustaining economic growth, addressing the housing crisis and immigration issues, to supporting small and medium businesses and farmers.
However, before the next election in March next year, the new Prime Minister only has 300 days to achieve his goals, including the parliamentary summer recess. Harris has labeled tackling the housing crisis as a “top priority.” Upon assuming party leadership on April 6th, he stated that the government “will build 250,000 new homes in the next five years.” He expressed the government’s desire to “ensure young people can see their future in Ireland.”
Just two weeks before Varadkar’s departure, he mentioned in parliament that reaching the goal of constructing 50,000 new homes annually by 2025 would be impossible. Several lawmakers also voice doubts about the government’s ability to achieve this target. Harris, however, remains adamant that it is achievable. In an interview with RTE, the Irish national broadcaster on April 7th, he explained that by 2030, constructing 250,000 homes does not mean delivering 50,000 houses each year.
Even if this goal is met, it may not be sufficient to address the housing shortfall. According to the global real estate consultancy Knight Frank, Ireland will need to build 58,000 new homes annually by 2027. A new report released by the property website Daft shows that as of March 1st, there were only 10,000 properties for sale nationwide, the lowest level in 17 years.
Polls indicate that the housing crisis remains the top concern for voters. The influx of 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and other asylum seekers over the past three years has exacerbated the housing crisis. The number of homeless individuals continues to rise to record levels, with official figures showing over 13,000 people residing in emergency accommodation centers in February, and many others living on the streets. Due to the shortage of beds, this month, 1,620 asylum seekers were found living in tents on the streets.
Analysts believe Harris will struggle to make headway on these longstanding social issues. Theresa Reidy, a senior political lecturer at Cork University, told Reuters, “Harris may achieve some minor victories, but he can’t do anything substantial at this point on the major challenges the government has faced over the past four years.”
Moreover, one-third of Fine Gael lawmakers have stated they will not participate in the next election. Supporters hope Harris can inject new vitality into the party’s campaign before the local and European parliamentary elections in June. The 37-year-old Harris is adept at using social media, with hundreds of thousands of followers on platforms like X (Twitter) and TikTok, earning him the nickname “TikTok Prime Minister.”