Leo Varadkar: Irish premier to step down as Taoiseach and resign from Fine Gael party in 'surprise' move

Irish premier Leo Varadkar is to step down as Taoiseach and is resigning as leader of his party, Fine Gael. In an emotional speech outside Government Buildings in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said his decision to quit was both "personal and political", in a move that has been described as a 'surprise'.

Flanked by party colleagues, he said his resignation as Fine Gael leader was effective from Wednesday (March 20) and he will step down as Taoiseach when a successor is selected. He also said his tenure as Taoiseach had been “the most fulfilling time of my life”.

The announcement comes after a turbulent number of weeks for the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green Party coalition government. It was resoundingly beaten in two referendums on changes ministers had proposed to the Irish constitution. The comprehensive defeats were a significant blow to Mr Varadkar and other coalition leaders who had campaigned for “Yes Yes” votes in the plebiscites.

He said: “I believe this government can be re-elected and I believe my party, Fine Gael, can gain seats in the next poll. Most of all I believe the re-election of this three-party government would be the right thing for the future of our country. Continuing to take us forward, protecting all that has been achieved and building on it.

“But, after careful consideration and some soul searching, I believe that a new taoiseach and a new leader will be better placed than me to achieve that, to renew and strengthen the team, to focus our message and policies, to drive implementation. And, after seven years in office, I don’t feel I’m the best person for that job anymore.”

The announcement comes ahead of local government and European Parliament elections in Ireland in June. The next general election must be held by early spring next year. Over the last year, 10 Fine Gael TDs have announced their intention to step away from politics at the general election, fuelling speculation of internal discontent within the party.

Cabinet ministers met in Dublin for the first time on Wednesday since the referenda defeats.

However, Mr Varadkar said it was as “good a time as any” to step down. He said: “I know this will come as a surprise to many people and a disappointment to some, and I hope at least you will understand my decision. I know that others will, how shall I put it, cope with the news just fine – that is the great thing about living in a democracy.

“There’s never a right time to resign high office, however, this is as good a time as any. Budget 2024 is done. Negotiations have not yet commenced on the next one.

“Institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are working again and our trading relationship with the UK in the post-Brexit era is settled and stable. The new taoiseach will have a full two months to prepare for the local and European elections and up to a year before the next general election.”

Mr Varadkar, 45, has also just returned from the United States where he was involved in several high-profile engagements with President Joe Biden as part of traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations. He is currently serving his second term as Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar, who first became premier in 2017, once insisted he would not remain in politics beyond the age of 50, albeit he later said he regretted making that pledge.

Deputy Irish premier and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said Leo Varadkar’s decision to resign had surprised him, but insisted it would not prompt an early general election, as he restated his determination that the three-party coalition would serve a full term.

He said: "To be honest, I’m surprised obviously when I heard what he was going to do, but I want to take the opportunity to thank him sincerely. We got on very well. We had a strong personal relationship, the three leaders had, which I think was important in terms of the continuity and stability of the Government.

“And I want to take this opportunity again to wish Leo the very best in his personal life and in his career into the future. Could I further say from my perspective, this is a coalition of three parties, not personalities, and I remain committed to the continuation of government, to the fulfilment of our mandate and to the implementation of the programme for government.

“There are still very serious issues to deal with – housing, education, health, climate, energy.”

Mr Varadkar also thanked his fellow coalition leaders and his party colleagues for their support. He said: Most of all, I want to finish by thanking the people of Ireland for giving me the opportunity to serve them. And I’ll promise I’ll keep working for Ireland and my community in any way I can in future.”