This article explores the journeys and profound insights of the 9 oldest political leaders in power, individuals whose steadfastness has weathered the test of time, shaping their nations’ destinies and leaving an indelible mark on the global stage.
Table of Contents
The 9 oldest political leaders in power
1. Paul Biya (90 yrs)
Born on February 13, 1933, he became one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents and held onto power for several decades.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon, who has been in power for more than 40 years, is the oldest elected leader in the world at 90. In 1982, when Biya assumed control of the nation of West Africa, Ronald Reagan was still the president of the United States. On October 18, he won for the seventh time in a row.
2. Mahmoud Abbas (88 yrs)
After spending fifty years in Yasser Arafat’s shadow, Mahmoud Abbas became the chairman of the Palestinian Authority in 2005. At 88 years old, he is one of the world’s oldest elected leaders.
He has received tremendous support from the world community as an unwavering proponent of a diplomatic two-state settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
However, recent surveys indicate that the majority of Palestinians want him to resign.
3. Michael Higgins (82 yrs)
Michael Higgins, an 82-year-old Irish politician and poet, has been Ireland’s president since November 2011. He was easily re-elected in 2018 due to his popularity and passion for the arts. He is known for his everyman style (he stands in line for cash at the ATM himself).
In addition to being mayor of Galway between 1981 to 1982 and 1990 to 1991, he also served as minister for arts, culture, and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997. From 2003 to 2011, when he stepped down after being elected president of Ireland, Higgins served as the Labour Party’s leader.
4. Sergio Mattarella (81 yrs)
Sergio Mattarella, the 81-year-old president of Italy is another political leader who has served as a unifying force throughout five successive governments and the Covid epidemic.
After the parliament, which chooses the president, was unable to agree on a replacement, the former judge of the constitutional court finally consented to run again in 2022.
5. Alassane Ouattara (81 yrs)
President of the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) since 2010, Alassane Ouattara was born in Ivory Coast on January 1, 1942. Professionally trained as an economist, Ouattara served as the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993, having been chosen for the position by President Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
He also worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Central Bank of West African States. In 1999, Ouattara assumed leadership of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR), an Ivorian political organization.
6. Hage Geingob (81 yrs)
Hage Gottfried Geingob, a politician from Namibia, was born on August 3, 1941. He has been the country’s president since March 21, 2015. Geingob served as Namibia’s first prime minister from 1990 to 2002 and again from 2012 to 2015. Geingob served as trade and industry minister from 2008 to 2012. Since being elected to the office in November 2017, Hage is also the current leader of the SWAPO Party, which is in power.
7. George Vella (81 yrs)
Maltese politician George William Vella KOM KCMG was born on 24 April 1942 and has led Malta as president since 2019. He is a former foreign minister, physician, and anti-abortion activist who was elected president in 2019 on a platform of “the respect for life from start to finish of every individual.”
Vella is a Labour Party member who formerly held the positions of deputy prime minister and minister of international affairs for Malta from 1996 to 1998 under Prime Minister Alfred Sant. He returned in 2013 as the foreign affairs minister, a position he held under the prime minister
8. Emmerson Mnangagwa (80yrs)
Emmerson Mnangagwa is the president of Zimbabwe since November 24, 2017, and a politician from Zimbabwe (born 15 September 1942). He was Robert Mugabe’s vice-president from November 2017 until his dismissal before taking over in a coup d’état. He was a member of ZANU-PF and a longstanding ally. In the contentious 2018 general election, he won his first full term as president.
9. Joe Biden (80yrs)
Joe Biden is the only American president to turn 80 while in office. He took office at age 78, making him the oldest president in the country. After an examination in February, doctors deemed Mr. Biden, who abstains from alcohol use and exercises five times per week, “fit for duty.” The White House claims that based on his resume, he is sufficiently intelligent to handle the demands of the position.
According to a recent Pew Research Center research, Biden is the ninth-oldest national leader in the world as he thinks about running for reelection in 2024.
Read also: The youngest political leaders ever: when age is just a number
