Simon Harris is to become the new head of government of Ireland. The previous higher education minister was appointed new party leader by his Fine Gael party on Sunday – he will also succeed the previous Prime Minister or Taoiseach, as the office is officially called in Ireland, as head of government. Parliament is expected to officially confirm him after the Easter recess in April.
The current head of government, Leo Varadkar, announced his resignation last Wednesday, surprising his own party and his coalition partners Fianna Fail and the Greens. The 45-year-old referred to personal and political reasons for the step, which the media in the EU country described as a “political earthquake”.
The rich island state is struggling with a number of problems
Several Fine Gael ministers and MPs had spoken out in favor of Harris as the new party leader and thus future Taoiseach. Harris is currently Minister for Higher Education, Science and Research. He was previously Minister of Health. He was the only candidate for the post of party leader after several traded candidates announced that they would not apply, such as former Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney and Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
In a speech on his election as party leader He announced that he wanted to support small businesses, farmers, workers and the rural population. He spoke out in favor of the European Union and announced a “fairer” migration system, without going into detail. He also said, literally, that his party stands for “law and order”, which can be translated as “law and order”, but in English also has an undertone that signals: someone wants to take action here.
That will also be necessary. Ireland has had to struggle with some problems recently. For years, the government has been unable to get a handle on the housing shortage, which has grown ever greater since the real estate bubble burst 15 years ago. The prices for houses and apartments are extremely high, especially in the capital Dublin.
Harris has not yet revealed how exactly he wants to solve the problems
Last year there were also violent riots following a knife attack on children in Dublin. Hundreds of protesters set vehicles on fire, looted shops and fought street battles with the police. The riots were not linked to specific political demands. But there had already been protests against the government, including a mock gallows in front of parliament. Foreigners have been repeatedly targeted in recent years.
Harris has not yet revealed how exactly he wants to address these problems in his country, but statements such as the announcement of a “law and order” course at least give an idea that he has recognized the tensions in Irish society and is taking them seriously.
At least his crisis management as Health Minister during the Corona pandemic was able to convince many of his leadership skills – even though he announced in a radio interview at the time that Covid-19 was the 19th coronavirus and did not know that the disease was named after the year in which it appeared. According to the newspaper The Irish Times He then described himself as a “terrible old idiot.”
The leader of the largest opposition party Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, protested after Varadkar’s withdrawal announcement and called for a new election. She criticized that the decision on the next head of government should not be made by one party. Both the governing party and its largest coalition partner Fianna Fail are currently weakening in the polls. Sinn Fein, formerly the political arm of the IRA, is currently in the lead. After Varadkar’s announcement, all coalition partners immediately emphasized that an early election was not necessary. The next regular parliamentary election must take place no later than spring 2025. Once officially confirmed, 37-year-old Simon Harris will become the youngest Taoiseach to date. His predecessor was 38 years old when he became head of government in 2017.