After serious defeats in two referendums, the Irish head of government is leaving the field to a successor from within the party. Varadkar apparently came to the conclusion that he had become a mortgage for his Fine Gael party.
Leo Varadkar on a state visit to Washington in mid-March.
Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters
Leo Varadkar was an exceptional phenomenon for Ireland. When he was sworn in as Prime Minister for the first time in 2017, the son of an Indian-born doctor was not only the first Irish head of government with a migrant background. The now 45-year-old was also the youngest prime minister in Irish history and one of the first openly gay heads of government in the world. The radiant man was also appreciated and criticized for his straightforward manner and his willingness to keep his opinions quiet.
On Wednesday, Varadkar announced his resignation as head of government and leader of the Fine Gael party in front of the government headquarters in Dublin. The departure comes a few months before the Irish parliamentary elections, which are due at the beginning of 2025 at the latest. Varadkar justified it with personal and political motives. However, he did not go into detail and stated that he had no plans for the period after his resignation.
Opposition wants new elections
The coalition between Varadkar’s right-centrist Fine Gael, the left-centrist Fianna Fail and the Greens, which has been in power since 2020, has appeared ailing for a long time. According to the coalition pact, Micheal Martin from Fianna Fail served as head of government in the first half of the legislature, who handed over the leadership of the government again to Varadkar in 2022.
Even if the opposition parties called for an immediate early election, the coalition is likely to try to hold on to power until the regular elections. Varadkar said he would head the government on an interim basis until his party had settled the succession at the top of the party. The new party leader is expected to replace Varadkar as prime minister after Easter. The Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, and Trade Minister Simon Coveney are considered possible successors.
With a view to the upcoming local and European elections, Varadkar said his party colleagues would have better chances if Fine Gael was led by a fresher force. Looking ahead to the national election, Fine Gael is stagnating in the polls with a vote share of around 20 percent, while the left-wing nationalist Sinn Fein could come to power for the first time. “As politicians, we give everything until we can no longer and move on,” said the visibly moved Varadkar. In doing so, he indirectly acknowledged that he is no longer a driving force for his party, but has become a mortgage.
Defeats in referendums
This impression was reinforced by the crushing defeats in two referendums on the role of the family ten days ago. A clear majority of Irish citizens rejected constitutional changes that would have modernized wording on the role of women in the home and family. The government had fully expected approval, especially since Ireland has experienced rapid social opening over the past two decades. The referendum defeats have left Fine Gael feeling despondent and out of touch with the people.
Varadkar will also be remembered as a prime minister who acted instinctively on major issues and skillfully protected the country’s interests. In the Brexit negotiations he managed to rally the 27 EU states behind Ireland. In 2019, he also convinced Boris Johnson of a solution to the customs dispute surrounding the British province of Northern Ireland. This so-called Northern Ireland Protocol subsequently caused considerable political turbulence. But they have recently subsided with Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Agreement and the reinstatement of the regional government in Belfast.