Simon Harris became Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister on Tuesday and vowed to bring 'new ideas, a new energy and a new empathy to public life.
The liberal government is looking to recover after two constitutional amendments Harris supported were quashed in a referendum vote. The amendments would have broadened the definition of family and removed language about a woman’s role in the home. Harris' rise to power comes as protests against migrant centers being constructed in small towns and villages are a weekly occurrence, while a new hate speech bill, which has garnered international attention, has stalled in the legislature.
He previously served as Minster for Health, when he successfully passed legislation intended to reduce alcohol consumption by mandating statutory minimum prices on alcohol and restrictions on advertising, while he was praised for taking control of Ireland's early pandemic response.