Youngest and oldest heads of state and government

LAHORE: At 39, the newly-elected French president, Emmanuel Macron, has become his country’s youngest head of state since Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who was 40-year-old when he had held reins of this European nation in 1848. 

An investment banker-turned-politician, Emmanuel Macron ,thus joins the club of the 10 youngest currently-serving world leaders and is confronted with a rather arduous task of slashing state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed in France, a country of over 67 million people that today has the world’s 10th largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $2.647 trillion (Purchasing Power Parity) and world’s 7th largest nominal GDP of $2.420 trillion. 

Currently in terms of area, France is the third largest country in Europe (after Russia and Ukraine).  The country is located in Western Europe and shares borders with Andorra, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. 

Apart from French President Emmanuel Macron, the other youngest serving heads of state and government in the world are: San Marino’s Captain Regent Vanessa D’ Ambrosio (assumed office at the age of 29 in 2017), North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un (assumed office at the age of 34 in 1983), Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (won keys to prized office at the age of 36 in 2013), King of Bhutan Jigme Wangchuck (assumed office at 37 in 2006), Macedonia’s interim President Emil Dimitriev (had assumed office at 38 in 2016), Yemen’s President Saleh Ali al-Sammad (was chosen country’s president at the age of 38 in 2016), Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas (had started heading country’s government at the age of 38 in 2016) and Ukrainian Premier Volodymyr Grovsman was 39 in 2016 when he was entrusted the task to lead his country. 

The 10 oldest heads of state and government:  

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe (93 years), Britain’s Queen Elizabeth (91 years), Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi (90 years), North Korean leader Kim Yong Nam (89 years), Emir Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al Jaber Al-Sabah (87 years), Governor General Barbados Sir Elliot Belgrave (86 years), Cuban leader Raul Castro (about 86 years), Governor General of Bahamas Dame Marguerite Pindling (about 85 years), Governor General of Belize Sir Colville Young (84 years) and President of Cameroon Paul Biya (84 years).