LONDON: Simon Harris is poised to become Ireland’s next premier and the country’s youngest leader on Tuesday, reported PA Media/dpa.
The 37-year-old father-of-two will be appointed Ireland’s fifteenth Taoiseach, after the surprise resignation of Leo Varadkar as Fine Gael leader three weeks ago.
Ireland’s lower house of parliament, Dail Eireann, will reconvene at 10.30 am on Tuesday after its Easter recess when a proposer and seconder are expected to nominate Mr Harris as the next Taoiseach.
Speeches are expected to be made by the government parties as well as the main opposition party Sinn Fein and other politicians, who are expected to call for a general election.
As the government holds a majority in the Dail, Mr Harris is expected to win the vote on Tuesday.
Mr Varadkar officially resigned as Taoiseach on Monday when he handed in his letter of resignation to Irish President Michael D Higgins.
During his resignation speech in March, Mr Varadkar said he felt he was no longer the right person to lead his party.
He made the announcement almost two weeks after two referenda proposed by the government were defeated, and as 11 members of the Fine Gael parliamentary party said they would not contest the next election.
When Mr Varadkar was appointed Fine Gael leader in 2017, members had hoped he would be an electoral boon for the so-called “law and order” party.
But the 2020 general election saw a drop in their support from 26 per cent in 2016 to 21 per cent, and they failed to win a 2021 by-election.
In the wake of Mr Varadkar’s resignation, Mr Harris emerged as the only contender to replace him.
After being appointed Fine Gael leader, he pledged to focus on more “bread and butter” issues and has repeatedly mentioned supporting small businesses facing high costs, helping farmers, and focusing on crime and security.
He said that the party has a “real job” to “reconnect and renew our focus” on several fronts and must rebuild its “sense of self-belief and energy”.
He has also repeatedly said that he intends for the coalition government – between Civil War-era rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, as well as the Greens – to run its full term to March 2025.
Mr Harris’ first task as Taoiseach will be handling a reshuffle of Fine Gael ministers, including which of his colleagues replaces him as Minister for Further and Higher Education.
At noon, People Before Profit will hold a protest outside Leinster House against Mr Harris being appointed Taoiseach without an election being called.-Bernama
