Harris frontrunner for next Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach

Simon Harris is near-certain to become the next leader of Fine Gael after all of the major candidates in the leadership race – namely Paschal Donohoe, Heather Humphreys, Simon Coveney and Helen McEntee – declined to run.

Harris, who previously served as Minister for Health in Varadkar’s 1st cabinet and is the current Minister for Higher Education, quickly gathered momentum in the leadership race after all of the presumed candidates declined to run.

Through Thursday morning, Harris gathered the support of TDs and Senators from across the country.

Harris’ coronation as Fine Gael leader comes 24 hours after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar resigned unexpectedly.

Questions have been raised if Fianna Fáil will back Harris in the vote for Taoiseach when the Dáil returns after the Easter break.

The 2020 general election was called after a vote of no confidence was proposed in Harris’ position as Minister For Health in January of the year.

Fianna Fáil threatened to support the vote before Varadkar dissolved the Dáil.

Harris currently serves as TD for Wicklow and should he become Taoiseach, will become the youngest-ever Taoiseach at 37 years old.

The logistics of Harris becoming Taoiseach is rather unprecedented, with the country now having its 3rd Taoiseach in less than 4 years.

Fine Gael have less seats than Fianna Fáil in the current Government, yet are able to select a Taoiseach by virtue of the current Taoiseach being a member of Fine Gael.

Such a situation has never happened in Irish politics before, leading to members of the opposition to question how much of a mandate Harris has to lead the country.

A parallel can be drawn between the famous Fine Gael/Labour/Democratic Left switcharoo in 1994 when Labour pulled the plug on their coalition with Fianna Fáil in late 1994 and forming a new Government with Fine Gael and the Democratic Left, but Harris becoming Taoiseach despite his party having fewer seats than the other major party in the coalition is without precedent in Irish politics.

People Before Profit TD and European candidate Bríd Smith said “Simon Harris had a disastrous record as Minister for Health as waiting lists grew and the costs of the National Children’s Hospital escalated out of control. He was the subject of multiple votes and planned votes of no confidence in the Dáil during his tenure in the post. There was a motion of no-confidence in him in the Dáil in February 2019 that he only narrowly survived. Even Fianna Fáil didn’t vote for him. ”

“A further motion of no-confidence in him was planned for the Dáil for early 2020 that was only avoided by the calling of the February 2020 general election. With this track record, how can Simon Harris be viewed as a credible Taoiseach?”

Labour TD Ged Nash said “we’re now likely to have three Taoisigh in the space of four years. Fine Gael members alone shouldn’t get to choose who leads our country for the rest of this Dáil. The democratic imperative demands the people should decide. Fine Gael and Fianná Fail should put country before party.”

Harris will now have the task of leading Fine Gael into local and European elections in June, and a general election which must take place within the next 12 months.