The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, has announced that he is standing down from the position and also relinquishing his role as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party, The Guardian reports.
Varadkar announced the surprise move at a press conference in Dublin. His departure as head of the three-party coalition does not automatically trigger a general election and he is expected to be replaced as taoiseach by his successor as Fine Gael leader.
“One part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else, and then having the courage to do it,” Varadkar said in an emotional statement. “That time is now. So I am resigning as president and leader of Fine Gael effective today and will resign as taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office.”
He said his reasons were “both personal and political” and that the next taoiseach would have two months to prepare for local and European elections in June, and up to a year in office before the next general election.
“I believe this government can be reelected, and I believe my party, Fine Gael, can gain seats in the next Dáil,” he told reporters. “Most of all, I believe the re-election of this three-party government will be the right thing for the future for our country, continuing to take us forward, protecting all that’s been achieved and building on it.
“But after careful consideration and some soul-searching, I believe that a new taoiseach and a new leader will be better placed than me to achieve that – to renew and strengthen the team, to focus our message on policies, to drive implementation. And after seven years in office, I don’t feel I’m the best person for that job any more.”
The 45-year-old has had two spells as taoiseach: between 2017 and 2020, and again since December 2022.
Varadkar, who has an Irish mother and an Indian father, was the country’s youngest taoiseach when first elected.
