Higher education minister will become taoiseach in April after shock resignation of Leo Varadkar
Simon Harris will become Ireland’s youngest prime minister after the leadership race in his Fine Gael party ended without any other candidates coming forward.
The leadership became vacant after the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced his surprise resignation “for personal and political reasons” last week.
Harris, 37, the higher education minister, was the only candidate when nominations closed at 1pm on Sunday, but he will not become taoiseach until 9 April when the Irish parliament, the Dáil, resumes after its Easter break.
He will outline his leadership priorities on Sunday at a selection convention in Athlone, County Westmeath, to choose party candidates for the European parliament elections in June.
Harris is expected to say he wants the centre-right Fine Gael – which governs with fellow conservatives Fianna Fáil and the Green party – to revert to core values including making work pay, being tough on law and order and supporting farmers.
