Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar Steps Down Unexpectedly - BNN ...
(Bloomberg) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar abruptly called time on 13 years in government as support for his party dwindled ahead of an upcoming election.
Varadkar announced his decision in an emotional speech in Dublin on Wednesday, listing his Fine Gael party’s achievements even as the coalition administration he heads faces major challenges on housing and immigration.
“After seven years in office I don’t feel I’m the best person for that job any more,” Varadkar said. “I am standing aside in the confidence that the party and country are in a good place.”
The Taoiseach’s political bombshell may not immediately lead to a new general election, which many government ministers have been keen to avoid for as long as possible. The next vote must be held by March 2025.
But his surprise departure presents a fresh challenge for the Irish government, which now must find a new leader. Varadkar will stay on as Taoiseach until a successor is chosen, he said, giving no immediately indication on a timeline for that.
Varadkar’s coalition government recently oversaw two heavy defeats in referendum campaigns on social issues — results that Varadkar took responsibility for. Dublin was also hit by rioting in 2023 amid a housing crisis and rising tensions over how to accommodate an influx of asylum seekers.
Any successor will have to prove that the government is still fit for purpose, while trying to fend off an increasingly popular Sinn Fein.
The Irish nationalist party, which has never governed in the republic before, has gained support over recent years, though that has tailed off in the latest polls. The left-wing party has backed alternative proposals to tackle housing and other social issues, particularly winning over young voters who have no memory of its past links to the Irish Republican Army.
Potential contenders for the leadership of Fine Gael, Varadkar’s party, include public expenditure minister and Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe, as well as enterprise minister Simon Coveney.
Varadkar follows in the footsteps of other political leaders who have bowed out unexpectedly early, such as New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern and Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon.
“I know, inevitably, there will be speculation as to the ‘real reason’ for my decision,” Varadkar told reporters in Dublin, before insisting that he has “no definite personal or political plans.”
Varadkar, the first out gay man and person of color to lead Ireland, was a poster child for the strides of progress the country has made in recent decades, including the Celtic Tiger, a period of rapid economic growth. He played a key role in Brexit negotiations and oversaw referendums legalizing abortion and same-sex marriage.
His departure comes after referendums last month saw voters overwhelmingly reject changes to the country’s constitution that would update language on the role of women and the family. That was a surprising setback for the government, and Varadkar said last week that as head of government he accepted responsibility for the defeats.
“It was our duty to convince people that these changes were necessary and beneficial,” he said to reporters after the referendum. “We failed to do so. Of course we need to reflect on that.”
The votes centered around changing wording that was considered outdated in relation to the definition of “family” and removing language referring to womens’ care duties in the home. However, the wording proposed was criticized for being too vague and in particular the proposed new definition of caregivers was too narrow.
(Updates with additional context from the third paragraph.)
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