DUBLIN, March 20 (Reuters) – In an unexpected move, Leo Varadkar
announced on Wednesday that he was resigning as prime minister of Ireland.
He stated that the country’s coalition government would have a better chance
of winning reelection. Varadkar’s Fine Gael party will begin accepting
nominations for a new leader on Thursday, with results to be made public on
April 5. The next step would be a vote by parliament on April 9, following its
return from Easter recess.
There will not be a general election as a result of Varadkar’s unexpected
resignation. He was the first gay prime leader of the formerly proudly Catholic
nation in 2017 and took office again only 15 months ago. By March 2025, a
vote needs to take place.
At a hurriedly scheduled news conference at Dublin government offices, 45-
year-old Varadkar stated, “My reasons for stepping aside are both personal
and political,” sounding touched as he spoke.
However, after giving it some thought and reflecting, I’ve come to the
conclusion that a new prime minister and leader will be in a better position
than me to secure the coalition government’s reelection.”
His replacement will have a whole year to try to make up the significant lead in
opinion polls that Sinn Fein, the main opposition party and the former
political wing of the Irish Republican Army, has over both Fine Gael and
Fianna Fail, their largest coalition partner.
According to polls, the present three-party coalition has a possibility of
winning reelection as well, although Fine Gael will have to do without almost
one-third of its current legislators because they have said they will not run for
office again.
The overwhelming favorite to succeed Varadkar, according to bookmaker
Paddy Power, is 37-year-old Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, who
served as health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal
Donohoe are other candidates. The previous deputy prime minister, Simon
Coveney, who lost to Varadkar in the 2017 leadership contest, disqualified
himself from consideration.
