Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation as party leader and Taoiseach of Ireland. He will step down as party leader immediately and as Taoiseach once his Fine Gael successor is chosen. Speaking in front of government buildings in Dublin, Varadkar stated that he felt leading his country had been “the most fulfilling time of my life”. As Taoiseach, he championed referendums that legalised same-sex marriage and abortion. He also increased spending on arts and culture, public infrastructure and international development. During his time in office, he improved female bodily autonomy and the rights of children and the LGBT community.
Varadkar also mentioned that there were areas where the government had been much less successful in achieving its objectives. While admitting to faults in the government’s efforts, he left it up to others to point them out. Furthermore, Varadkar said his reasons for resigning were both personal and political. Even though he believed that the current government could be re-elected, he felt there was a need for a change as he was not the best person for the job anymore.
Following Varadkar’s resignation, Fine Gael’s national executive will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening to commence the process of selecting a new leader. This process is expected to take 18 to 19 days. Four names had been mentioned as potential candidates, including Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, Paschal Donohoe – the public expenditure minister, and Helen McEntee – the justice minister. While Simon Coveney, the deputy leader of Fine Gael, ruled himself out, Harris remained an early favorite among many bookmakers.
As part of the coalition agreement, Varadkar and Micheál Martin agreed to take turns as Taoiseach for two years each, commencing in 2020. Martin was appointed leader in 2020, with Varadkar serving as his Tánaiste (deputy prime minister), before they swapped roles in 2022. Micheál Martin expressed surprise at Varadkar’s decision, stating that he got along with him very well. While Mary Lou McDonald, leader of the opposition, Sinn Féin, called for a general election, the Irish government parties said that there would be no general election
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