(RepublicanNews.org) – Leo Varadkar, who became Ireland’s youngest-ever Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, when elected in 2017, has resigned from the post. He said that there would never be an ideal time to resign, but that he had his “limitations” and had although he had given “everything” to the position, found that he could no longer do that.
During Varadkar’s term, Ireland experienced profound changes to its social and political landscape, moving from a highly conservative, Catholic country, to one run on very progressive lines. Varadkar, who is also the country’s first gay Prime Minister, told the press that he was proud to have helped make the nation a “more equal and more modern place” as far as women’s rights and LGBT rights are concerned. During his leadership, he successfully supported referenda on both same-sex marriage and a woman’s right to an abortion.
His progressive campaign faced a setback recently when proposed changes to the country’s constitution were firmly rejected by voters, who elected not to remove a clause that stated mothers should not be made to neglect their “duties in the home” by having to work, and that their efforts within the home were beneficial to both the state and the common good. Voters also rejected efforts to broaden the definition of family from one based around marriage, to one that included single parenthood and “durable relationship[s]”.
Varadkar has also faced criticism in recent years over his party’s staunchly pro-immigration policies, which have rapidly transformed the demographics of the country. Between 2016 and 2023, the foreign-born population of Ireland increased by approximately 25%, a change which has caused concern amongst many. Some have protested what they feel is an immigration system that is too lax, including those who formed the “Irish Lives Matter” group, which clashed with police during the February protests in Dublin after an Algerian immigrant stabbed three schoolchildren.
Elections will take place before April 16th, after which Varadkar will fully step back from the Prime Ministerial role, as well as stepping down as president of his party, the Fine Gael Party. He will, however, continue to represent the Dublin West constituency in the Irish Parliament.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanNews.org
