20th March, 2024
The Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) of the Republic of Ireland Leo Varadkar announced Wednesday that he will resign as party leader immediately and as Taoiseach as soon as his Fine Gael successor is selected.
“One part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else, and then having the courage to do it,” Varadkar said in a statement.
“That time is now. So I am resigning as president and leader of Fine Gael effective today and will resign as Taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office,” he said, adding that his reasons for stepping down are “both personal and political.”
Varadkar, 45, has led the Fine Gael party since 2017 and served as Taoiseach twice. He currently leads the coalition government along with Fianna Fail and the Green Party.
(Xinhua/NAN)