London (AFP)

A new rising star on the British political scene, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak quickly took on the role of firefighter to save the economy, which made him hugely popular, but is now expected to turn on jobs. to the resurgence of Covid-19.

The dynamic and telegenic Chancellor of the Exchequer, just 40 years old, has made a name for himself in just a few months, without having yet had to make angry decisions.

It is back in the spotlight on Thursday with the announcement of a new employment support plan following new activity restrictions put in place to fight the resurgence of the pandemic, which could stifle the fragile reprise.

The British Parliament has become accustomed to its slender figure and the eloquence of the one who has put tens of billions of pounds on the table to revive an economy on its knees.

The success of the partial unemployment scheme and the unprecedented scale of the measures deployed boosted its popularity, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced criticism of his management of the pandemic, the United Kingdom being the most bereaved country in Europe .

It must be said that Rishi Sunak looks first in the class and looks after his image, which is why he is often portrayed with kindness in the British media.

A plate in each hand, sleeves rolled up, he takes the stage in front of the photographers to praise his program of subsidizing meals taken in restaurants during the month of August.

A few days later, he put on a white hooded sweater to launch his hiring assistance program for young people.

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Reminiscent of Labor Tony Blair, he's building a true “Rishi Sunak” brand on Instagram and Twitter, and dressing his measures with catchy names, like Eat Out to Help Out for meals, or the Winter Economic Plan for the program announced Thursday.

Propelled last February to the post of Minister of Finance after the surprise resignation of his predecessor Sajid Javid, he had only previously been Chief Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State in charge of local communities.

Rishi Sunak, however, narrowly misses the title of youngest finance minister, which can be boasted of George Osborne, appointed at 38 years to this post in 2010.

He is also the first Hindu Chancellor of the Exchequer.

When he entered the House of Commons as a deputy, he was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit text.

Unlike his predecessor Sajid Javid, the smiling Rishi Sunak keeps a low profile and quickly enters his new costume.

This Brexit supporter comes from a wealthy background and married to the daughter of one of the co-founders of the Indian IT services company Infosys, the wealthy NR Narayana Murthy.

He had met his wife Akshata in California, where the couple lived before moving to the UK.

They have two daughters.

Born May 12, 1980 in Southampton, on the south coast of England, Mr Sunak is the oldest of three children and the son of a general practitioner working for the public health system and a pharmacist.

Rishi Sunak, who says he once experienced racism at a fast food restaurant as a teenager, attended Winchester college, a chic boarding school for boys, and studied politics, philosophy and economics at prestigious universities in Oxford, England, and Stanford, USA.

Member of Parliament since 2015, this elected representative from Yorkshire (northern England) previously worked in finance, including Goldman Sachs, and founded his own investment company.

Cricket and football lover, fan of "Star Wars", he is considered one of the wealthiest British MPs and owns a Georgian mansion in Kirby Sigston, a village in Yorkshire, where he organizes parties with magnums of champagne and waiters in livery.

The health crisis has shaken up the positions of this conservative, reduced to having to nationalize train lines, lend public money to companies and subsidize jobs.

However, one day it will have to restore order in public finances, even increase taxes, and perhaps make enemies.

© 2020 AFP