Leader of Ireland's ruling party Simon Harris (Photo: Reuters).
Reuters reported that IrishEducation Minister Simon Harris, 37, has been elected as the new leader of the ruling Fine Gael party, paving the way for him to become the successor to Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
The Irish Parliament will officially elect Simon Harris as prime minister when it meets on April 9.
Mr Harris is the only candidate running for the leadership of the ruling Fine Gael party.
In a speech after being appointed leader of the ruling party, Mr. Harris said: "I want to thank everyone. Today, I pledge to repay that trust with responsibility, humility and continuous effort."
He also praised the leadership of his predecessor, Varadkar. The young leader said that Mr Varadkar had made an important contribution to the country's transformation. "I know and believe that his legacy since 2010 has been very significant," he said.
On March 20, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar suddenly announced that he would resign for both personal and political reasons.
Mr Varadkar took office in 2017 after being elected leader of the Fine Gael party. He is the youngest prime minister in Ireland's history and the country's first openly gay leader.
His term as prime minister ended in 2020 after a general election ended without a majority for either party. He returns to the role of prime minister in December 2022 under a deal between the two parties.
Mr. Varadkar was a doctor before becoming a member of parliament at the age of 27. In 2015, as Ireland's health minister, he publicly announced that he was gay.
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