Harris will need more than his undoubted energy

Simon Harris, who becomes leader of Fine Gael today and is set to be elected Taoiseach by Dáil Éireann next month, represents a remarkable rise for a young man who has always shown a keen ambition to lead both party and country. Now he has secured the positions which he has long coveted, he should be wished well — but it is what he does next as leader of the country that is important. Today’s Thinks opinion poll finds a public somewhat underwhelmed by the outcome of political events last week, and it will be up to Harris to prove himself worthy of the elevation bestowed upon him.

A finding in the poll — that the public would have preferred the more experienced Public

Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, or Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Simon Coveney to succeed Leo Varadkar — may come as something of a disappointment to the Taoiseach-elect.

Certainly, a contest for the position of Fine

Gael leader would have been preferable, but neither Donohoe nor Coveney nor anybody else in Fine Gael showed an appetite to lead, with the parliamentary party opting instead for the undoubted energy and impressive communication skills of the Higher Education Minister.

Harris will now have to outline his plans to meet the challenges faced by the country, beyond his ability to work hard, which has been widely espoused by his supporters.

He has shown competence in the ministries he has held to date, but remains relatively unknown and untested in the wider sphere of national leadership.

In the modern world of social media communication, at which Harris is particularly adept, younger leaders elsewhere around the world, including his predecessor in office, have spoken of the strains of high office and the toll it takes.

The best way to silence any naysayers and doubters is to have and adopt relevant policies to meet the needs of a majority of the public.

The Programme of Government purports to do that, but Harris will also be expected to respond to the public need according to developments.

He has shown an ear finely tuned to public demand, but he will also need to best assess when and to whom to say no in the best interests of the country — and to act not just in the interests of Fine Gael supporters. This much he knows.

The office he is about to take has become increasingly demanding.

In the immediate term, Harris will need to show a sensitive understanding of the requirements of coalition government with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, both of whom are insisting the Government should run full-term until March next year.

Our poll today finds a significant increase in public support for an immediate general election, but there is also strong support for the Government to see out its mandate.

While Harris may be anxious to secure his own mandate, he will need to judge carefully when he should do so and then only act in the best interests of the country.

This Taoiseach-elect is something of an unknown quantity, greatly admired by his many supporters but with others open to be convinced that Fine Gael has made the right choice.

It will be down to Harris to show he has the ability to support his undoubted energy and ambition.