Leo Eric Varadkar said on Wednesday that he will resign from his position as Prime Minister of Ireland, just days after a meeting with President Biden in Washington D.C.
Varadkar announced his resignation as the president of the Fine Gael Party at a press event on Wednesday.
He also said he would step down as Taoiseach (prime minister) once a successor was ready to assume the role. Elections will take place before April 16.
Varadkar is the Taoiseach of Ireland since December 2022. He was previously in office from 2017 to 2020.
Varadkar praised Ireland’s achievements in his farewell speech, including the fact that it has hosted more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion.
“Of Course, there are some areas where we have been less successful and others in which we have gone backward sadly. But I hope you will forgive me if, on such a day, I leave it up to other people to highlight them. He said that they would receive plenty of column space and airtime. I understand that this news will be a shock to many and a disappointment to others, but I hope you can at least accept my decision. I’m sure that many people will be able to cope well with the news. That’s the best thing about living in a democracy.”
“There is no right or wrong time to leave a high-ranking office, but this time seems like the best of all.” The budget for 2024 has been completed. The next budget has not yet been negotiated. He said that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement were working again and our trade relationship with the UK was stable and settled in the post-Brexit era.
He said his reasons for leaving were both personal and political, adding that he would remain in the Teachta Dala (lower house of parliament) position for Dublin West.
Politicians are humans, and they have limitations. “We give it all we can until we’re unable to anymore. Then we must move on,” he said. “I know there will be speculation about the real reasons for my decision. Here are the real motives. I don’t have any plans, either personal or political. I’m looking forward to the time I will have to reflect on them.”
Varadkar has been celebrating Ireland’s transformation from a conservative Roman Catholic nation to a more diverse, socially liberal country. However, he conceded defeat in a referendum earlier this month, when two constitutional amendments he had supported, which would have widened the definitions of family and removed the language regarding a woman’s place in the home, were defeated. The prime minister acknowledged that “clearly we got it incorrect” in regards to what he previously deemed “very old-fashioned terminology.”
Prime Minister David Cameron has been called a globalist, despite the government’s support for mass immigration into Ireland. This has led to the growth of the Irish Lives Matter movement.
Varadkar visited Washington, D.C., last week to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Biden hosted Varadkar in the White House, and the two then attended a luncheon on the U.S. Capitol grounds to celebrate a century of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hosted President Obama and Varadkar at the Capitol for the annual “Friends of Ireland Luncheon.” Johnson introduced the President as “America’s Most Famous Irishman.” Biden took advantage of the event to call for more foreign aid, both to help Ukraine fight against Russia and Israel, as well as to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Varadkar thanked the United States in his remarks during the luncheon for their efforts to bring peace to Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. This was done through the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He then turned his attention to the conflict in Ukraine as the House is unable to pass additional U.S. assistance for that country.
Varadkar stated that Ukraine must not fall, and we should stand together with Ukraine as long as necessary. “We are looking forward to working with America over the next 100 years.”
Varadkar told the New York Times that “the Irish are deeply concerned about the tragedy unfolding in Gaza. When I travel around the world, many leaders ask me why we have so much empathy for Palestinians.” “The answer is very simple: we see our history through their eyes.”
The Irish Prime Minister said, “The people in Gaza need food, shelter, and medicine, but most importantly, they need to stop the bombing.” He was referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict. “This must stop on both sides, the hostages need to be brought home, and humanitarian aid allowed in.”
