Leo Varadkar: I am no longer best man to be Irish PM
Observe: Taoiseach of Ireland struggles with his emotions while declaring his decision to step down.
The leader of the Irish government, Leo Varadkar, has decided to step down from his role as the head of his political party right away. He also plans to resign as the taoiseach, which is the equivalent to the prime minister in Ireland, once his Fine Gael replacement has been chosen.
Mr. Varadkar has recently announced that he will be stepping down from his position. He expressed his sentiment that his time serving as the leader of his country has been the most satisfactory period of his life.
The individual declared that he was resigning due to "personal and political" factors and acknowledged that he was no longer the most suitable candidate for the role.
At the age of 38 in 2017, he achieved the title of Fine Gael leader and became the youngest Prime Minister of Ireland.
At the moment, he is at the forefront of the coalition administration in Dublin, accompanied by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.
On Wednesday, Mr. Varadkar spoke from the entrance of government buildings in Dublin and mentioned that he had guided Ireland to full employment, budget surplus, and prosperity, after experiencing unemployment and budget deficit in the past.
From where the image came from, PA Media has provided it. Alternative version: The picture's origin is credited to PA Media.
According to Mr Varadkar, he no longer believed that he was the most suitable individual for the position.
According to Mr. Varadkar, he takes pride in the efforts made to improve the country's outlook in terms of equal rights for children, the LGBT community, gender equality, and the autonomy of women over their bodies. He believes that the country has become more contemporary and just towards these issues.
While serving as the taoiseach, Mr. Varadkar supported holding referendums to modify the Irish constitution, by allowing homosexual marriage and terminating pregnancies.
Among his accomplishments, Mr. Varadkar mentioned that he has made progress in making childcare more accessible to families by making it more affordable. In addition, he has allocated more funding for the arts, culture, international aid, and public infrastructure.
He also admitted that "there are some fields in which we have not achieved the success we aimed for". However, he expressed his wish by saying, "Please excuse me if I don't mention them during this moment and let someone else point them out."
What Made Leo Varadkar Step Down?
The cause for Mr Varadkar's resignation was a combination of his personal and political factors, according to him.
He expressed his opinion that the existing administration "had the potential to get re-elected" but he sensed that he was "no longer the most capable individual for the position."
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Ireland's Next General Election: When Is It?
The political parties in power in Ireland have stated that they don't think that the announcement scheduled for Wednesday will lead to a nationwide election.
During the 2020 election, Mr Varadkar guided his party to come in third place for the amount of seats in the Dáil Éireann, which is the lower section of parliament in the nation.
As a result of the agreement made between the parties in the coalition, it was decided that both Mr Varadkar and Micheál Martin would take turns as the taoiseach for a duration of two years each.
Back in 2020, Mr. Martin was designated as the taoiseach with Mr. Varadkar stepping in as his tánaiste (vice PM). However, the two of them then exchanged positions in 2022.
Talking after Mr. Varadkar's declaration to step down, Mr. Martin expressed that he had been taken aback by his choice.
"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to him. We had a great rapport," stated Mr. Martin.
According to Mr Martin, he is still determined to complete the entire length of time he was appointed for in the coalition government.
The picture is from PA Media. --- Rewritten: The source of the image is PA Media.
Micheál Martin was taken aback when he found out that Mr Varadkar was resigning.
Eamon Ryan, head of the Green Party which is the smallest among the three parties that form the coalition government, commented that Mr. Varadkar has been an active and devoted leader who constantly showed support for his colleagues in the government.
According to Mr. Ryan, his political party is excited about the upcoming Fine Gael leadership competition and the selection of a new taoiseach.
He mentioned that during the meantime, the administration will carry on with executing its assigned duties.
"I want to express my well wishes to Leo as he gets ready to leave his position as the taoiseach," he stated.
'No More Path Left'
During a session at the Dáil, the Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, who holds the position of Opposition leader, demanded a national election.
According to her, it is impossible to imagine that the next leader of the Irish government would be selected by a group of Fine Gael politicians.
She stated that it is an opportunity for renewed leadership. It's not only a matter of appointing a new taoiseach, but it's also about picking a new administration and shifting towards a new path.
According to Ms McDonald, Ireland had a remarkable home ownership rate in Europe when Fine Gael took over in 2011. However, things have taken a downward turn as Ireland's home ownership rate has now become one of the lowest.
She expressed that the current government has exhausted all of its energy and resources. Therefore, instead of continuing to function in a temporary capacity, it is better to seek the opinion of the public.
The source of the picture can be accredited to PA Media.
The leader of Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, has requested a universal vote to take place in the country of Ireland.
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, expressed his good wishes for Leo Varadkar after he resigned.
A representative stated that the Prime Minister will "cooperate extensively with him and the person who takes his place".
According to the spokesperson, the UK considers Ireland to be an important ally.
Michelle O'Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, suggested that it is the right moment to hold an election in the Republic of Ireland.
The Sinn Féin vice president expressed that currently is not a suitable period for concentrating on insignificant things while crucial issues remain unresolved.
She referred to Fine Gael's period of governance as "13 years of unsuccessful outcomes."
Emma Little-Pengelly, the Deputy First Minister, commented that Leo Varadkar and unionism rarely agreed on anything, if they agreed at all.
Nonetheless, the MLA of the Democratic Unionist Party expressed his good wishes to him.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, stated that he and Mr. Varadkar frequently have contrasting views when it comes to politics.
He stated that we held contrasting views regarding the Republic of Ireland's strategy for dealing with its past, and we had very opposing opinions regarding his stance and demeanor towards the Northern Ireland Protocol and the potential political future of Northern Ireland.
We had disagreements, but we handled them in a way that showed respect.
Sir Jeffrey also explained that there are various fields where they collaborate to achieve advantageous outcomes for "both of our nations."
Just before the press conference on Wednesday, the taoiseach informed Ireland's President Michael D Higgins about his plan to step down from his position. The two talked right after.
A representative of the leader stated: "During this time, the chief expressed gratitude towards the taoiseach for their efforts."
Who's Next For Taoiseach?
Simon Coveney, a 51-year-old member of Fine Gael and Minister of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, has decided not to run for leadership.
During his appearance on RTÉ, he revealed that he had come to a conclusion "a while back" that he wouldn't participate in another leadership competition following his defeat by Mr. Varadkar in 2017.
A sudden gathering among the Fine Gael National Executive will take place Wednesday evening, aiming to initiate the search for a new leader.
According to Mr Coveney, this procedure should last about 18 to 19 days.
He further stated that there could be more than a single candidate.
The image is from Getty Images
According to several bookmakers, Simon Harris, the Minister for Higher Education, is currently the frontrunner.
Currently, there are four individuals whose names are being brought up.
According to numerous bookmakers, Simon Harris, who serves as the Minister for Further and Higher Education and is 37 years old, is currently the frontrunner.
The health minister gained a lot of attention when Ireland changed its laws to allow for abortion back in 2018. After that, he went on to become the justice minister.
At the youthful age of 26, Helen McEntee took on the role of a TD in the aftermath of her father's untimely demise by suicide.
Photo credit: Niall Carson The photo credit for the image is given to Niall Carson.
Last year, there was a great deal of chaos in Dublin, and as a result, Helen McEntee was pressured by opposition parties to step down from her position. However, she refused to do so, and instead stood her ground.
Back in 2017, she accepted a significant position as a minister of state for European affairs. Fast forward to June 2020, she was promoted to take on the role of a minister of justice.
Following the chaotic events that occurred in Dublin during November 2023, she was met with demands from opposition parties to step down but refused to do so.
Paschal Donohoe holds the position of public expenditure minister and formerly served as finance minister between 2017 and 2022, which can be considered one of the most crucial cabinet positions.
The individual who represents Dublin Central is additionally the head of the Eurogroup. The Eurogroup convenes the finance ministers from eurozone countries for casual discussions.
Heather Humphreys, who is the Social Protection Minister, represents the area of Cavan-Monaghan which is situated close to the Northern Ireland border.
In addition to her primary position in the cabinet, she also temporarily assumed responsibility for the justice ministry on two occasions while McEntee was on maternity leave.
In the event of her becoming taoiseach, she would be the inaugural Protestant to occupy the position.
You have the option to stay updated on the aftermath of the Irish Prime Minister's resignation by tuning in to BBC News on iPlayer.
