Irish Prime Minister Varadkar Resigns Over ‘Personal, Political Reasons’

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says he will step down as leader of the country soon as a successor is chosen.

Varadkar in a resignation statement outside Government offices in Dublin on Wednesday said he is also quitting immediately as head of Fine Gael Party, part of Ireland’s coalition Government.

He will be replaced as Prime Minister after a Party leadership contest.

According to Associated Press, Varadkar said his reasons were “both personal and political.”

“When I became Party leader and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) back in June 2017, I knew that one part of leadership is knowing that the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else, and then have the courage to do it. That time is now,”

“I am resigning as President and leader of Fine Gael effective today and will resign as the Taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office.”

“I’m proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place,” he said.

Varadkar, 45, has had two spells as taoiseach, or Prime Minister — between 2017 and 2020, and again since December 2022.

He was the country’s youngest-ever leader when first elected, as well as Ireland’s first openly gay Prime Minister.

Varadkar, whose mother is Irish and father is Indian, was also Ireland’s first biracial taoiseach.