There are 15 countries whose political leaders have not yet touched their 50th year
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In politics, age does not really matter. While on the one hand, you have leaders like the Zimbabwean former President Robert Mugabe, who at 93 years was until November 2017, the oldest head of the state, on the other hand, there are leaders like Sebastian Kurz, who is 31 years old and is all set to become the head of state of Austria. But let us take a look at the world’s youngest leaders. Here we would be listing presidents, prime ministers and other heads of the state who have not yet touched their 50th year.
Obviously, when one thinks of young leaders, the name that comes to mind is that of Sebastian Kurz. In the 2017 legislative elections in Austria, Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) outperformed its rivals by securing the most seats. With this spectacular victory, Kurz, who is all of 31, will become the youngest head of the state in the world.
Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, is the second youngest leader in the world. Currently aged 35, Kim Jong-un was only 30 years old when he assumed office in 2012.
Jacinda Ardern is all set to become the youngest-ever female Prime Minister of New Zealand. Ardern, who is just 37-years-old, took over as the leader of the Labour Party on August 1, 2017. After an election held in New Zealand resulted in a hung parliament, Winston Peters, the leader of the anti-immigration NZ First party, stated that his party would back Ardern in a coalition government.
Both Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, are also 37 years old. Wangchuck became King of Bhutan on December 9, 2006, at the age of 26 after his father abdicated the throne. Al-Thani, became the Emir of Qatar on June 25, 2013, at the age of 33.
Born to a Catholic mother and a Hindu father, Leo Varadkar assumed office as the Prime Minister of Ireland on June 14th, 2017. Varadkar, who is 38-years-old, has become the youngest person to hold the office of Prime Minister.
Emmanuel Macron assumed office as the President of France on May 14th, 2017. The 39-year-old Macron, who was a civil servant and investment banker before he became the President of France, is the youngest President in the history of the nation.
Juri Ratas and Volodymyr Groysman, the Prime Ministers of Estonia and Ukraine respectively, are also aged 39 years old. The youngest Prime Minister of Belgium since 1845, Charles Michel assumed office on October 11, 2014. Michel is currently 41 years old.
Youssef Chahed, who is by profession a university teacher, agricultural engineer and researchers, assumed office as the Prime Minister of Tunisia on August 27th, 2016. He is currently 42 years old.
Alexis Tsipras, who deftly handled the European refugee crisis and the Greek-government debt crisis, became the Prime Minister of Greece in 2015. At age 43, Tsipras has been voted as one of the 100 most influential people globally by the Time Magazine.
Justin Trudeau, who is currently 45, took over as the Prime Minister of Canada on November 4th, 2015. He is the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada. He is also the first PM related to a previous serving PM. His father Pierre Trudeau was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and 1980 to 1984.
The other leaders below 50 years of age are 45-years-old Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, and President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, who is 48-years-old.