In 1933, the President of the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt, commenced a sequence of radio broadcasts to communicate with average citizens about the country’s recovery plan from the dire Great Depression. Capitalising on his eloquent communication talents, he directly engaged with his audience through simple explanations of policies and concepts, evoking a warm, approachable persona. The renowned ‘fireside chats’, attributed significantly to sustaining his 12-year-long presidential popularity.
Elements of this strategy could arguably be replicated in contemporary times by Simon Harris, the emerging leader of Fine Gael. His talent for utilising modern means of communication to craft updated versions of ‘fireside chats’ sets him apart in the leadership competition. However, his record on other crucial leadership metrics, such as political responsibility and effectiveness, remains contested.
Dubbed the ‘TikTok Taoiseach’, a semi-accurate nickname as Instagram was, in fact, the platform that bolstered Harris’s fame. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, along with daily briefings on various restrictions and statistics from figures like chief medical officer Tony Holohan, the generally grim mood was palpable. Nevertheless, Harris made a distinct shift in his approach during his ‘live’ broadcasts on social media.
Government sources initially dismissed his Insta Live sessions as insignificant, but they soon realised their profound impact when they observed his reputation growing amongst the masses. Harris engaged in lengthy conversations, often beyond 10 minutes, answering incoming queries from the feed directly. Employing an informal language, he demonstrated empathy and voiced public concerns.
He frequently reached out to the public, reminding them to support each other during these challenging times and to extend kindness towards one another. This atypical response of positivity from a politician led to a lot of encouraged feedback. One viewer wrote, “I’m an average person, unlike you. However, you are the only governmental authority I listen to. You aren’t just reading off a script, but you are speaking genuinely from your heart.”
“[Could Simon Harris, the Taoiseach of TikTok, combat populism as he pledged? An insight into Diarmaid Ferriter’s analysis]
Party Loyalty in Political Opinions
Harris’s broader political tactics and opinions aren’t readily available from his social media engagement; you need to dig a little deeper to uncover his perception on critical issues.
He first came into political light in 2008, as an unelected 22-year-old opposing conventional Fine Gael perspectives on long-term project planning and fostering entrepreneurship at the party’s ardfheis.
Once he was voted into the Dáil in 2011, he frequently partook in Dáil debates. There’s no evidence suggesting he ever deviated from his party’s stance or the practical approach to prevailing issues, a typical trait of centrist political parties. Mary Lou McDonald, during a Sinn Féin Private Members’ motion on tax in 2014, suggested that Harris was used to defend the Government’s position as the “top pupil in the class”.
His political opinions align squarely with Fine Gael’s positioning on topics such as enterprise, corporate tax, foreign direct investment (FDI), and income tax. Additionally, he supported the Fine Gael ministers who called for a €1,000 tax cut for middle-income-earners as part of the last October’s budget.
Throughout his political progression, Harris has shown a consistent passion for advocating for disabled people’s rights, informed by his teenage experiences campaigning for his brother Adam who has autism and leads AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity.
Harris, serving as temporary Minister for Justice in 2023, was primarily occupied with crime control – including face-recognition technology, stringent penalties for assaulting gardaí, and tough laws against child exploitation. Notably, though not explicitly stated, Helen McEntee’s hate speech legislation appears to be in danger, hinting at an acknowledgment from the new leader to the prevailing climate.
At the Collins-Griffith memorial in Glasnevin in 2023, Harris presented the most exhaustive depiction of his political beliefs. He advocated for a revived social agreement for the Republic, one with a balance of “rights and responsibilities”.”
Elaborating on his comments, he stated, “The government will duly play its part if you diligently apply yourself and adhere to regulations… The taxation on your earnest income should directly relate to the provision of public services.
The country shall accept the importance of providing genuine equality of opportunity – independent of your identity, location, or your parents’ professions, everyone should have chances to thrive to the best of their abilities.”
Performance: emerged relatively untouched post ministerial nominations.
Before the 2011 general election, Harris pledged in a letter that he would not back any laws permitting abortion services. Within two years, his stance had evolved, mirroring many of his peers – including Leo Varadkar, Regina Doherty, Hildegarde Naughton – who shifted from a conservative stance to a more liberal viewpoint on societal issues over time.
There were instances of deviation, however. When the episode of cervical check scandal broke out in 2016 during Harris’s tenure as health minister, he swiftly defended the 203 impacted women while simultaneously turning against the programme management. Upon questioning his confidence in the programme, the minister honestly replied, “In all honesty, I can’t affirm I do.”
His statement led to far-reaching effects, leading to multiple high-profile resignals and inciting an unsettled debate if Harris adopted a sturdy, independent position or merely pursued a majority-pleasing policy. That said, he exhibited bravery by mandating an external inquiry (presided over by Gabriel Scally), even as chief medical officer Tony Holohan, favoured an internal examination.
His biggest issues as the health minister were self-inflicted – unfulfilled promises such as shortening waiting periods for scoliosis surgeries to four months; offering optimistic deadlines for implementing free GP care, promises on the intrajectorily completion of the national children’s hospital (a project already underway when he assumed office); managing hospital waiting lists; and medical staffing.
In Higher Education, a different department, he strived to increase the recognition for apprenticeships and also advised students to contemplate alternatives to the CAO points goal, both sectors were previously overlooked.
Contrarily, he has often been heard discussing issues regarding student housing and university financing. Yet, in spite of his assertive verbal commitments, there remains a persistent lack of student lodging and a €300 million yearly deficit within the university sector. Would this tarnish his reputation? This seems improbable. Harris has managed to stay largely unblemished in his ministerial journey, by balancing adroit communication, practicality, and delicate shifts towards populism.