Planned change in Ireland: Prime Minister Micheal Martin resigns White US police officer convicted of manslaughter of black woman

In a planned change at the top of the government in Ireland, former Prime Minister Michael Martin has resigned. Fianna Fail, the head of government of the conservative party, has formally submitted his resignation to Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Irish broadcaster RTE reported on Saturday. Later, former deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar would be appointed head of government by the also conservative party Fine Gael.

The coalition, which also includes the Irish Greens, already agreed on this change at the start of their cooperation in 2020. With the planned replacement of the prime minister, some ministers also change posts. The next elections in Ireland are scheduled for 2025 at the latest.

The formation of the Conservative-Green coalition government in Ireland two years ago was regarded as historic. Before that, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail had alternated in government. Varadkar previously headed a Fine Gael government from 2017 to 2020, sanctioned by Martin’s Fianna Fail.

The largest opposition party is currently the left-wing Sinn Fein, also the only party in the British province of Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein has long been regarded as the political arm of the underground organization IRA, which fought at gunpoint during the civil war in Northern Ireland for a unification of the two parts of Ireland. The party has now renounced violence and also implemented a generation change. (sda/dpa)