Republic of Ireland: Prime Minister Varadkar to Step Down

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Facts

  • Leo Varadkar has announced he will be stepping down as the Republic of Ireland's (ROI) taoiseach (prime minister). This decision comes days after his coalition government failed to pass two referendums.1
  • Varadkar cited both 'personal and political' reasons for his decision. While stepping down as leader of the Fine Gael Party with immediate effect, Varadkar will remain as taoiseach until a successor is decided in an election set to take place by April 16.2
  • Varadkar became both the ROI's youngest prime minister and Fine Gael leader in 2017, serving as taoiseach until 2020 before returning to the role in 2022. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Martin said the ROI's coalition government will continue until the expiry of its term.3
  • Varadkar said he was 'no longer the best person' for the role, and that part of leadership was when to 'pass on the baton to someone else.' He also predicted the current government could win the next election, and that his party could gain further seats.4
  • The ROI's referendums attempted to both remove references in the constitution to a woman's 'life within the home' and 'duties in the home,' as well as extend the definition of 'family' to include 'durable' unmarried relationships. Those proposals were rejected by 74% and 67.7%.5

Sources: 1New York Times, 2FOX News, 3BBC News, 4The Irish Times and 5Sky News.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by theguardian.com. Despite the referendum defeats, Varadkar's decision to step down is surprising and disappointing. Varadkar's outcries against the war in Gaza and his role during Brexit and the COVID pandemic showed he's a voice that could've been crucial in the future. But as the first openly gay European leader and the son of an immigrant, his tenure will undoubtedly leave its mark on Ireland's history.
  • Right narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. With two embarrassing referendum results and his obsession with progressive optics and rhetoric over real change, Varadkar's resignation is a favor to ROI. A man of little conviction outside of the whims of the urban elites of Dublin, the majority of the country will be pleasantly surprised that the opportunity has arisen to move in a new direction.

Predictions