Irelands Prime Minister Leo Eric Varadkar to resig
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, has announced his resignation following a meeting with President Biden in Washington, D.C. Varadkar will step down as president of the Fine Gael Party and as Taoiseach once a successor is ready.
An election will be held before April 16 to choose Varadkar’s replacement. During his resignation speech, Varadkar highlighted several achievements from his tenure, including Ireland welcoming over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Despite citing personal and political reasons for his resignation, Varadkar plans to remain in the lower house of Parliament. However, his proposed constitutional amendments to redefine family and women’s roles were rejected in a recent referendum.
Varadkar faced criticism for his support of government-backed mass migration into Ireland, which led to some labeling him as a globalist. However, during his visit to Washington, D.C., he celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with President Biden and discussed foreign aid.
Varadkar thanked the U.S. for its role in bringing peace to Ireland and Northern Ireland and called for support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. Overall, Varadkar leaves behind a legacy of both achievements and controversy as he prepares to step down from his leadership roles in Irish politics.