Eluned Morgan was sworn in as Wales’ first female leader on Tuesday after being elected by MPs in the devolved parliament to succeed Vaughan Gething, who served only four months in office.
Morgan, 57, was named the new Welsh Labour leader last month, making her the party’s nominee for first minister of Wales.
Lawmakers in Wales’ 60-member assembly, the Senedd, acknowledged that the nomination had been recalled from recess.
Gething, who became the first black leader of a government in a European country when elected in March, resigned last month following a series of controversies.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour Party, termed Morgan’s appointment as head of Wales “fantastic news” and said she brings “a wealth of experience and a track record of delivery” to the position.
Morgan, a member of the Senedd since 2016, previously served in the European Union parliament for 15 years beginning in 1994 and promoting herself as a “unity candidate”.
Welsh Labour has been split in recent months when Gething received criticism for taking a £200,000 ($255,500) gift from a man convicted of environmental offenses, as well as a leaked phone message that resulted in the removal of a minister.
He lost confidence, promised to fight, and then reversed his decision.
All of the other probable contenders for the party leadership campaign backed Morgan.
The Welsh government, headquartered in Cardiff, has limited devolved powers to determine policy in sectors such as transportation, the environment, health, and education.