Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made an emotional speech Wednesday to announce he was stepping down, telling reporters outside government buildings in Dublin he was leaving office for “personal and political, but mainly political” reasons.
It’s a shock move by Varadkar, who just last week traveled to the U.S. and met with President Joe Biden during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He’s Ireland’s first openly gay taoiseach and the youngest ever to hold the position, having been first elected in 2017, when he was 38.
Now 45, Varadkar said its time for him to leave public office. He conceded he didn’t have a “real reason” for the move but insinuated that the nastiness of politics had pushed him to a breaking point.
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“I’ve learned so much about so many things, met so many people who I’d never have got to meet, been to places I would never have seen both home and abroad,” he said. “And I am deeply grateful for it—and despite the challenges, would wholeheartedly recommend a career in politics to anyone who’s considering it.
“However, politicians are human beings and we have our limitations. We give it everything until we can’t anymore. And then we have to move on.”
Varadkar’s announcement comes on the heels of a testy few weeks in Irish politics, with Varadkar’s administration losing two referendums to change what it called “sexist” language in the constitution.
Varadkar, the son of an Indian-born father and Irish mother, became a doctor before he joined the Irish parliament at 27. As a leader, he pushed to liberalize Ireland, including campaigns to ease its strict anti-abortion laws and to legalize same-sex marriage.
“I’m proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place,” he said Wednesday.
As for what’s next, Varadkar says he has “nothing lined up” and no concrete plans but that he’s “really looking forward to having the time to think about them.”
Varadkar’s departure will not automatically trigger an election. Instead, the next prime minister will be chosen by his Fine Gael party by April 6, allowing them to take office during parliament’s Easter break.
