Reynolds, X Case and Maastricht
Charles Haughey resigned as Taoiseach in February after years of controversy and internal Fianna Fáil pressure. Albert Reynolds, who had challenged his leadership and had been dismissed as Minister for Finance the previous November, won the party leadership and became Taoiseach. Reynolds inherited a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition but immediately presented himself as a different kind of leader, promising a more direct style of government and a renewed effort to address Northern Ireland.