LONDON, March 24. /TASS/. Ireland’s Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has been approved as leader of the governing Fine Gael party and will become the country’s new prime minister, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said after a party meeting I the city of Athlone.

Harris was he only politician to announce his bid for Fine Gael leadership following Leo Varadkar’s stepping down. Since there were no other contenders, the party meeting approved him as Fine Gael leader.

According to the RTE television channel, Harris will take prime minister’s office after being approved by members of the lower house of parliament when they are back from the Easter holidays on April 9. After he is approved by parliament, he will be endorsed as prime minister by Irish President Michael Higgins.