Simon Harris becomes Ireland’s youngest-ever prime minister
Al JazeeraApr 08, 2024
Ireland's Prime Minister (PM) Simon Harris announced Tuesday that he will dissolve the Dáil, or Irish parliament, later this week and call a snap general election.Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris announced Tuesday that he will dissolve the Dáil, or Irish parliament, later this week and call a snap general election.
Harris, who leads the ruling Fine Gael party, will reportedly ask the president to dissolve the parliament on Thursday, which would result in a Nov. 29 election. He told reporters he doesn't think the decision "will come as a shock to anybody."Harris, who leads the ruling Fine Gael Party, will reportedly ask the president to dissolve the parliament on Thursday, with the election expected on Nov. 29.
Harris said that he expects the government to pass the Finance Bill before parliament is dissolved, adding that two other pieces of legislation, including an appropriations bill, will also need passing.Harris said that he expects the government to pass a finance bill that would implement budget changes before parliament is dissolved, adding that two other pieces of legislation, including an appropriations bill, will also need passing.
While this decision might make electoral sense given the recent negative polling of Fine Gael's coalition partners, Harris should be using his party's popularity to pass legislation. The Irish people care about housing, health care, and supporting Palestine, not preparing for snap election campaigns. This might result in the exact opposite outcome the PM is hoping for.
Despite a brief boost in polls, Simon Harris and Fine Gael face more skepticism than they'd like to admit. Fine Gael’s 13-year tenure, eight of which Harris was in government, has seen housing, healthcare, justice, and immigration issues worsen. As roughly half of the party's members of parliament aren't seeking reelection, it appears the Fine Gael regime may finally be coming to an end.