Simon Harris: The health minister set to become Ireland’s youngest ever prime minister

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris is the frontrunner (PA Archive)

Ireland’s Simon Harris has become the clear frontrunner to become the country’s next prime minister, after other potential candidates said they would not run to replace the outgoing Leo Varadkar.

Varadkar announced his shock departure on Wednesday citing personal and political reasons, prompting an internal contest within the governing Fine Gael party to replace him. It does not trigger a general election but Varadkar’s successor faces a tough task to improve the fortunes of Fine Gael.

The announcement comes ahead of local government and European parliament elections in Ireland in June. The next general election must be held by early spring next year.

Mr Varadkar, 45, became the first gay prime minister of the once staunchly Catholic country and the youngest person to hold the office when he first became Taoiseach in 2017. He returned to the premiership in 2022 for a second term.

He said he believed his coalition could win the next election, but “after careful consideration and some soul searching, I believe that a new taoiseach and a new leader will be better placed than me to achieve that… after seven years in office, I don’t feel I’m the best person for that job anymore.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre) with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee (left) and Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

He said he had enjoyed being Taoiseach, and that he was “proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place.”

“However, politicians are human beings and we have our limitations… we give it everything until we can’t anymore and then we have to move on.”

It is likely that Harris, currently Minister for Further and Higher Education, will be the only candidate if, as expected, he confirms his intention to run later on Thursday.

Harris has so far received support from most of the Fine Gael parliamentary party and is the favourite with bookmakers.

Others seen as possible contenders, including Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe have all ruled themselves out.

Any rival candidate would still have until Monday to enter the race.

Harris, 37, would become the country’s youngest prime minister if elected, surpassing Varadkar, who was 38 when he was first appointed in 2017. Harris‘s public profile rose during his spell as health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whoever wins will have up to 12 months before a general election to try to overturn a wide opinion poll deficit. Both Fine Gael and their largest coalition partner Fianna Fail are trailing the main opposition Sinn Fein party, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army.

Varadkar is currently in Brussels for what is likely his last attendance at a European Council meeting.