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Simon Harris became Ireland's youngest ever prime minister on Tuesday, succeeding party colleague Leo Varadkar with less than a year to boost the coalition government's bid to halt a first electoral victory by left-wing Sinn Fein. The 37-year-old former health and higher education minister, best known for helping steer the country's initial response to COVID-19, was elected unopposed as the new leader of Fine Gael last month, just days after Varadkar's shock exit. That all but assured he would become the 16th person to lead the country of 5.3 million, and he was confirmed in parliament after securing support from some independent lawmakers, as well as his Fianna Fail and Green Party coalition partners.