Irish PM unexpectedly steps down
In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar revealed he would be stepping down as the government and party leader of the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party within the next few weeks. This unexpected move has sent shockwaves through the Irish political system.
Varadkar became in 2017 Ireland's youngest, first-ever gay, and mixed-race Taoiseach – he has Indian origins. He has served two terms as Taoiseach, first from 2017 to 2020, and then returning in 2022 to lead a centre-right coalition government up until today. His tenure required him to address several crises, including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a far-right riot in Dublin.
While Varadkar did not provide explicit reasons for his resignation, he cited ”personal and political reasons” and expressed a desire to ”pass the baton on to someone else.” With the European elections just months away, his departure could be a way to give his party a better chance of success under fresh leadership.
The announcement comes after the ”No” victory in the 8 March referendum to change sexist language in the Constitution, a humiliating defeat for his government. His resignation does not mean that an election must immediately take place. The next general election is not due until February 2025, yet there has been speculation about an earlier election, with opposition members already calling for one. The governing coalition is widely expected to face heavy losses to the main opposition, left-wing party Sinn Féin.