Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced on Wednesday he would resign as president of his party and as the country’s leader.
Varadkar has been the prime minister since December 2022, and he served as the country’s leader from 2017-2020. The Irish leader was in Washington, D.C., last week and met with President Joe Biden on St. Patrick’s Day.
“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,” Varadkar said in a speech on Wednesday.
It was an unexpected announcement in which Varadkar cited “personal and political” matters for his departure, with “no real reason” for his choice. He also said he “had nothing else lined up.”
“I have nothing in mind,” Varadkar said. “I have no definite personal or political plans.”
“I know this will come as a surprise to many people and a disappointment to some, and I hope at least you’ll understand my decision,” he said. “I know that others will, how should I put it, cope with the news just fine. That is the great thing about living in a democracy.”
A former physician and general practitioner, Varadkar’s election in 2017 was historic for Ireland. He was the first biracial and openly gay leader in the country’s history. Also, at 38 years old, he was the youngest person elected prime minister in the country’s history.
During his time in office, Varadkar took his country down a more left-leaning political path. He oversaw a referendum in May 2018 that repealed the country’s Eighth Amendment, which recognized “the right to life of the unborn.” The referendum legalized abortion up to 12 weeks in the country. He also campaigned in 2015 to legalize same-sex marriage in Ireland. He was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2018.”
“I’m proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place,” Varadkar said.
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During his resignation announcement, Varadkar touted his record of equality and modernization, saying he was proud of his accomplishments and all he had done for the country.
“It has been the most fulfilling time of my life,” Varadkar said.