The sudden and largely unexpected resignation of the Republic of Ireland’s prime minister (Taoiseach) is causing political shockwaves in Dublin after Leo Varadkar tendered his resignation in an unprompted press conference Wednesday afternoon.
A tearful Varadkar, flanked by cabinet members, made the surprise announcement, declaring that he was “no longer the best person for that job” as he announced his resignation as leader of his centrist Fine Gael party as well as government leader, citing “personal and political reasons” without providing further clarification.
Varadkar held the position as Taoiseach from 2017 until 2020, and again in December 2022, with the support of centrist Fianna Fáil and Green Party. As prime minister, he has presided over a decade of intense liberalisation in the Republic, culminating in the legalisation of abortion, as well as overseeing the country’s response to Brexit.
His government recently suffered a major setback through the defeat of two referenda to further liberalise the nation’s constitution with regards to the exact definition of a family under Irish law. Varadkar emphasised his handling of the COVID crisis and legislating for abortion during today’s remarks.
His exit from Irish politics three months before June’s European and local elections in Ireland appears to have come as a surprise to even members of his parliament and party, most of whom were taken back by today’s decision.
Rumours are swirling around Dublin as to the exact reason for Varadkar’s departure from Irish politics, with a high volume of members of Varadkar’s party, Fine Gael, coincidentally announcing their intention not to serve in the next parliamentary election despite the party doing reasonably well in the polls.
The ruling Fine Gael party is expected to elect a new leader before their annual congress in mid-April, with education minister Simon Harris and enterprise minister Simon Coveney being mentioned as potential replacements.
The Republic of Ireland is required to hold an election before March 2025. Varadkar’s resignation is seen by many as the starting pistol in an election cycle that could see victory for the left-populist party Sinn Féin as migration is fast becoming a defining issue in Irish politics, alongside systemic issues over housing.
Reflecting on the Varadkar years and their impact on national politics, economist and commentator Philip Pilkington described Varadkar’s time in office as a “mask-off” moment for domestic Irish elites dispensing with Catholicism, and he broached the possibility of today marking a return to centre-right values within the Fine Gael party and Irish political life more generally.
While the cause of Varadkar’s resignation is unknown, there has been previous speculation that the openly gay leader would seek a post-government position within Big Tech or even the European Commission.
