Proin Casarnach
Proinsias Casarnach | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Taoiseach of Caldia | |
| In office 7 May 2018 – 5 January 2019 | |
| Monarch | Kenneth IV |
| Deputy | Cúan Ó Domhnaill |
| Preceded by | Jimmy O'Reilly |
| Succeeded by | Amhlaoibh na Dùnphris |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1 December 2014 – 15 June 2017 | |
| Taoiseach | Alexis Walker Jimmy O'Reilly |
| Minister of Petroleum | |
| In office 18 June 2012 – 1 December 2014 | |
| Taoiseach | Alexis Walker |
| Leader of the Liberty Party | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Jimmy O'Reilly |
| Teachta Comhthionól for Shanbally North | |
| In office 12 June 2007 – 5 January 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 November 1949 Shanbally, Caldia |
| Political party | Liberty Party |
| Spouse | Claire Casarnach (1969-present) |
Proinsias Casarnach (born 5 November 1949) is a Caldish politician and business executive who served as Taoiseach of Caldia from 2018 to 2019 before being removed from the office for corrupt behavior. He was also Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2017 and Minister of Petroleum from 2012 to 2014. He was leader of the Liberty Party from 2018 to 2019.
He was known for his populist rhetoric and abrasive personality. In December 2019, revelations surfaced that he had been involved in a bid-rigging scandal while he was a cabinet minister. An inquiry found he violated anti-corruption law, but charges could not be brought against him while he was taoiseach. After refusing to resign and the collapse of his governing coalition, he was removed from office by Kenneth IV on subsequently arrested and charged. It was later revealed that he collaborated with the Etrurian Tribune Movement in order to target his political rivals.
After his arrest, Casarnach announced he would retire from politics. He maintains his innocence and has refused to plead guilty. The results of his trial are still pending.
Life and Career
Casarnach was born in Shanbally to a middle class family. He later studied business management at Shanbally University. He was employed by the Caldish oil company, RPG, first started in 1985. He served as COO of RPG from 2000 to 2006.
Politics
In 2007, ran for the Comhthionól Náisiúnta in his native Shanbally North constituency. He was approached by the Liberty Party's local branch and recruited due to his background in business, expertise in petroleum, and conservative views.
Casarnach was appointed Minister of Petroleum in 2012. He later became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Alexis Walker's government from 2014 to 2017. As Foreign Minister, he became a controversial figure for his rhetoric which commentators described as populist. He was dismissed by Jimmy O'Reilly after the 2017 general election and returned to the party backbenches. He was opposed to the O'Reilly government's plans for immigration reform. At the time, O'Reilly said he felt it was inappropriate for someone with Casarnach's confrontational personality to hold a diplomatic position. The two had a tense relationship after O'Reilly beat Casarnach to become leader of the Liberty Party in March 2017. In 2019, Walker reflected that she regretted elevating Casarnach and enabling him. However, she said that appointing him to the high profile position helped stifle the rise of the right-wing, anti-immigration Free Market Party.
He described himself as being a classic liberal committed to Caldish values. He supported skilled immigration and a small but efficient state budget.
Taoiseach
With Casarnach's tenure saw a drastic shift in party policy. He moved the party heavily to the right, abandoning Walker's social liberalism for social conservatism. Casarnach brought the party's Flowerite backbenchers to power, elevating the little known Margadh Coinbhinsiún. Under Casarnach, government spending was cut significantly. Critics argued he was implementing unwarranted austerity policies while Casarnach argued he was promoting small government and cutting taxes. He sought to repeal the Immigration Reform Act but was met with hostility by his coalition partners and members of his own party. Without the votes to repeal the legislation, he sought to make it more difficult for immigrants to pass the new citizenship test and stacked the commission responsible for its creation with opponents to immigration. This resulted in a fight with a number of O'Reilly allies that he had kept in his cabinet, all of which were sacked. Casarnach's legislative effort was effectively stalled as a result and he focused primarily on foreign policy, calling on the EC to seek reproach with Etruria.
Corruption scandals
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In December 2018, allegations of potential bid-rigging emerged against Casarnach. Following an investigation by the Independent Review Board, Casarnach's wife and party chair, Claire Nic Haol-Casarnach, was charged for her role in the scandal. Casarnach was accused of rigging the bid process for health plans at the state oil company during his tenure as Minister of Petroleum. The IRB was unable to press charges against the Taoiseach due to the office's immunity. Casarnach was sacked by Kenneth IV and was subsequently charged and arrested. His Minister of Finance, Humphrey Dumfries who became Tánaiste after the junior parties pulled out of the coalition, was named Taoiseach by the king. Dumfries submitted a writ of dissolution and triggered a snap election.