Ex Thai premier and former exile Thaksin Shinawatra says he won’t stand again to become prime minister as 75 years is too old to lead a country. Of course, advancing years are often a factor in high office, especially in countries defined loosely as democracies. Joe Biden has recently withdrawn his hat from the American presidential ring at age 81, although suggestions of mental decline (rather than age as such) were likely the key determinant. Yet advancing years in world leaders have been a constant factor since Old Testament times.
In Thailand, General Prem Tinsulanonda died in 2019 at the age of 98, having retired as Regent of Thailand only three years before. Whilst prime minister in the 1980s, he became the ninth oldest man in the 20th century to hold that position. The head of state currently being the most mature is president and dictator Paul Biya of the Cameroons at 91 years. He has been in power for four decades and supporters want him to run again in the 2025 elections. Biya’s health is claimed to be good although a doctor who divulged to an American journalist that the president had a heart condition was found two days later in a roadside ditch.
Other record breakers have included Giovanni Paolo Lascaris who died as ruler of Malta and head of the Knights Hospitaller at age 97 in the 17th century. More recently, Queen Elizabeth II died in office in 2022 at 96, whilst pope Francis is still battling at age 87. It is very rare to have legislation in place to force leaders to stand down at a given age. A US senator two years ago did propose 75 years as the cut-off point to be a presidential candidate, but the matter was never even discussed officially.
Old men over 70 are currently heads of state in two thirds of countries, mostly third world dictaorships. Research published by Business Insider suggests that historically such guys are at considerable risk of a violent death. In the last one hundred years, 40 percent of presidents and prime ministers have met their doom by assassination or in suspicious air crashes with the occasional suicide also thrown in. But if they made it into retirement, almost all died in bed of heart disease, cancer or a stroke.
Perhaps the last word on ageing and power should go to Brunhilde Pomsel, Joseph Goebbels’ secretary, who died in 2017 at age 106. Asked what she remembered best about Adolf Hitler, she replied “Not a Thing!” before adding she couldn’t give any more details as it was lunchtime.
