Humza Yousaf, 37, replaces Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party, making him the new Prime Minister of Scotland. Politically, he appears to be continuing the lines of his predecessors, but a hard line awaits him, correspondent Lia van Bekhoven thinks.

Yousaf received about 26,000 votes, slightly more than competitor Kate Forbes, who received nearly 24,000 votes. Ash Regan had already lost in the first round of voting. Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon, who surprisingly left six weeks ago.

As Minister of Health in Sturgeon’s cabinet, he was not particularly up front, said Van Bekhoven. ‘But the most important question is whether he can secure Scotland’s independence. That’s what being the leader of the Scottish Nationalists is for.’

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The process has been fixed

And it’s still a question, thought the VK correspondent. “All the candidates who have been fighting for the leadership of the SNP want to get rid of the UK. But the problem is this process has stalled. And it’s hard to get it going again.”

Read also | Scottish referendum off track

It seems that the SNP has lost tens of thousands of members in recent years. And opinion polls show that the number of pro-independence supporters is dwindling. ‘For a long time it was around 50 per cent, but the supporters now barely exceed 40 per cent. And it’s completely new’, said Van Bekhoven. In that sense, Yousaf was in for a rough patch, he thought. ‘This theme is the most important subject for this party.’

more neutral

Besides, it would be difficult for him to put himself in Sturgeon’s shoes, thought Van Bekhoven. ’ She was an amazing communicator, she was received like a pop star at times and managed to fill great halls with people in no time. But he was also hated for dividing up the land.’ Yousaf was much more neutral in that regard, thought Van Bekhoven.

And while the idea of ​​an independent Scotland is now receiving less and less support, it may not be completely rejected. ‘Independence seems to be very popular with young people,’ explains Van Bekhoven. The majority of people aged 45 and under want to separate from the UK and the rest of the UK. The majority of that age group consider themselves more Scottish than British and perceive themselves as European. So in the long term I will not negate independence.”

Mood

Yousaf is the first Muslim to lead a major British party, as well as the first Muslim to lead a country in Western Europe. There will be a vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday before Yousaf officially becomes the country’s prime minister.