Ireland’s first openly gay PM Leo Varadkar resigns abruptly

In a shock statement on Wednesday, Leo Varadkar, the first openly gay Prime Minister of Ireland, announced to resign as the PM citing mix of personal and political circumstances, NBC News reported.

Varadkar, who became the youngest ever-serving taoiseach (head of government) of Ireland in 2017, revealed the decision to resign from both his politically active positions, namely the leadership of Fine Gael, one of the center-right parties forming the ruling coalition government that includes Fianna Fáil, and the Green Party.

At a press conference held at the tail end of Dublin’s government buildings, Varadkar highlighted the strides taken towards a better and egalitarian Ireland. While there was a poetic tone evident in his statement, Varadkar did not commit himself to a reason for departing and left his intentions for the future opaque adding, “I have no personal or any specific political plans”.

When the announcement came out, it seemed like it was a “bolt from the blue” among all the Irishpeople, who protected their long-standing beliefs and political orientations, the senior Irish official told NBC News under the condition of anonymity.

Whether it was otherwise foreseen or not, Varadkar’s background as a qualified doctor seemed to be a factor that prevented him from long-time dedication to politics, which eventually had its toll and prompted him to leave.

Varadkar’s resignation, though it was quite close to his visit to the White House meeting President Joe Biden previously, cannot be a factor pushing the country into general elections automatically. On the contrary, the proposed timeline is shifted, with the selection of a new party leader for till April 6, after which a transition of power will take place after the parliamentary Easter recess.