Why has Leo Varadkar suddenly resigned as Irish prime minister?

The choice made by Leo Varadkar to resign as the leader of Ireland came as a shock to many, including members of his own political party, Fine Gael, who were unaware of his intentions.

The leader of the Republic of Ireland, known as the taoiseach, shared some heartfelt news as he declared that he will be stepping down from his role as prime minister. He plans to leave as soon as a new leader is chosen by his party and approved by parliament. This decision comes after his service as Irish premier, holding two terms in office - the first from 2017 until 2020, and the second began in 2022. Following his announcement, he will be stepping down as leader of his party with immediate effect.

The party is not doing well in the polls and because of that, the 45-year-old person said that it would be better to have a new leader to face the upcoming general election in Ireland. This election has to be held by March 2025.

He stated that he thinks this administration has the potential to win again. In his opinion, someone who better suits the role of being a new taoiseach will be able to accomplish this. This person will have the ability to refresh and enhance the upper echelon of the team, shift the spotlight back to our message and policies, and push through with executing them. After serving in office for seven years, he believes he is no longer the most qualified for the position.

All About Leo Varadkar

Varadkar's resignation was quite a scene, indicating that he wasn't afraid to make big political moves during his tenure as a prominent politician.

When the ex-doctor took office as taoiseach in 2017, he made history as the youngest, first mixed-race, and openly gay politician to lead Ireland - a country with deep Catholic roots that is also a part of the European Union.

Varadkar, born in Dublin in 1979 to an Irish mother and Indian immigrant father, revealed that he was gay during a 2015 interview with RTE Radio 1 while he was serving as Ireland's health minister.

As per his statement, "I am a man who is attracted to other men. This fact about me is not hidden, but not widely known. I have never talked about it before in public."

He said that his Indian heritage, medical degree, and sexual orientation do not label him as a politician. Instead, they are merely aspects of his identity and contribute to his personal traits.

Why's He Resigning?

Varadkar made an effort to update the mentions of family and women in Ireland's constitution, which has been in place for 87 years. This was done through a two-part referendum. However, the result was a significant and embarrassing loss for not only Varadkar but also his political associates.

In the referendum, the initial query was to seek consent from Irish citizens to expand the existing description of a family. The suggested revision aimed to modify the phrasing by specifying that a family could be established through "marriage" or any other "long-lasting relationships."

In a recent survey, citizens were asked two questions. Firstly, they were asked if they think the phrase “mothers should not be forced to prioritize work over their responsibilities at home due to economic pressure” should be eliminated. Secondly, they were asked if they support the addition of this new clause: “The government acknowledges that when family members take care of each other due to the emotional connections they share, it helps society achieve the common good. Therefore, the government will work towards supporting such care provision.”

Varadkar stated that the polls scheduled on March 8, which is International Women's Day, presented an opportunity to eliminate outdated and discriminatory language used to describe women.

Ultimately, the population had a different opinion and despite Ireland's mainstream political groups pushing for a "Yes, Yes" outcome, Varadkar's approach was criticized for being too flashy and unclear.

After the announcement of the referendum results, he admitted that he was among the many people who didn't get it right.

According to Tom McTague, who works as a political editor for UnHerd in the UK, Varadkar left his position like most political leaders do. He was discouraged and not favored by the people anymore because he couldn't maintain his initial popularity due to the tough demands of governing. His political party Fine Gael is currently struggling in elections. Additionally, the housing issue in Ireland is becoming unbelievably terrible.

"Career Highlights Of Irish Taoiseach?"

During his leadership in the government, Varadkar fulfilled the position of Irish prime minister for five years and acted as deputy prime minister for two years during the period from 2020 until 2022.

In 2017, upon his appointment as taoiseach, the UK had just voted to leave the EU in 2016's Brexit referendum. This event caused the resignation of UK's former prime minister, David Cameron. This was a significant issue, as the UK is Ireland's closest neighbor.

After former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, announced that leaving the European Union would result in also leaving the single market and customs union, concerns arose about the possibility of a rigid border between the Republic of Ireland, a member of the EU, and Northern Ireland, a region belonging to the UK.

Varadkar faced a significant challenge regarding the political history in Northern Ireland, where sectarian conflict, also known as the Troubles, occurred for almost three decades. The conflict eventually came to an end in May 1998, thanks to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. However, it remains a sensitive topic and a major concern for Varadkar. His objective was to ensure the movement of goods between the two areas without any barriers, including security cameras or border posts that would divide the island of Ireland.

Varadkar played a crucial role in the discussions that took place among the UK, the EU, and Ireland. The resulting agreement was reached once Northern Ireland had agreed to adhere to the EU's commercial standards.

In his farewell speech, Varadkar mentioned that this agreement had been revised as a component of a pact to resurrect Northern Ireland's self-governing government in February, and deemed it one of his major accomplishments.

"He declared that we avoided an impenetrable boundary dividing the northern and southern regions, safeguarding our membership status in Europe."

Varadkar was responsible for the removal of a nearly complete prohibition on abortion in 2018 after the people of Ireland voted decisively in support of changes to the country's stringent laws.

Over the past few months, Varadkar has openly condemned Israel's continuous military operation in the Gaza Strip.

After the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7th of the past year, the Prime Minister, who is quite tall (measuring at 1.9m or 6ft 4in), went against what is commonly believed and spoke out against the military actions of the Israeli government. He did this in light of the increasing number of Palestinians who have lost their lives, which now stands at over 31,000.

During a trip to South Korea in November 2023, he observed that what was happening was not just about protecting oneself. It appeared to be more like a desire for retaliation. This is not the right path for us to be on, and it does not seem like it will lead to Israel's future safety and protection.

In February, when the UNRWA was accused by Israel of hiring Hamas members and had its funding suspended by several nations, Varadkar was one of the few leaders who promised to keep providing financial assistance.

Varadkar made a request to President Joe Biden to secure a prompt and obligatory end to the conflict in Gaza. He spoke to him during their meeting on St Patrick's Day in Washington. This occurred five days before Varadkar declared his decision to step down from his position. It is worth noting that President Biden is known to often acknowledge his Irish roots.

Who's Next Irish PM After Varadkar?

Many are speculating that Simon Harris, former health minister and current minister for higher education in Ireland, is the frontrunner to become the new leader of Fine Gael and the prime minister of Ireland, taking over from Varadkar.

Harris, who is only 37 years old, has the chance to beat Varadkar's record as the youngest Irish taoiseach ever. This can happen if Fine Gael announces him as their new party leader on April 6, and if the Irish Parliament votes for him after the Easter break.

Several individuals who were initially considered as potential candidates, such as Simon Coveney who serves as the enterprise minister, Helen McEntee who holds the position of minister for justice, and Paschal Donohoe who acts as the minister for public expenditure, have decided not to put themselves forward.