Leo Varadkar announces shock resignation as Taoiseach
At 12 noon, on Wednesday 20 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced his resignation as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader. Mr. Varadkar stated that his resignation as leader of Fine Gael is immediate as of the 20 March and added that he will resign as Taoiseach as soon as his successor is able to take up office. In an emotional statement, Mr. Varadkar said that his reasoning for his resignation are both personal and political, and feels that he is not “the best person for the job anymore”. Mr. Varadkar shut down any speculation surrounding the ‘real reason’ he is stepping down, and outlined that he has no personal or political plans at present.
Mr. Varadkar added that Fine Gael’s new leader will be elected in advance of Fine Gael’s Ardfheis on the 6 April, which will allow for a new Taoiseach to be elected after the Easter recess. In the last 24 hours, it appears that Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, is set to become the next leader of Fine Gael. This comes after Paschal Donohoe, Heather Humphreys, Helen McEntee, and Simon Coveney all confirmed that they would not seek to lead Fine Gael, and offered their full support to Simon Harris as he is set to announce his candidacy for leadership.
It has been reported by RTÉ that Simon Harris’ campaign team believes they have the backing of over 100 of Fine Gael’s 249 council members to become the party’s next leader, which is significant given that council members would account for 10% of the vote in a leadership election. If Harris is elected, it will mean that he will become the youngest ever Taoiseach of Ireland aged 37, following from Leo Varadkar who became the youngest Taoiseach in Irish history at the age of 38 in 2017.
It has been no surprise that Opposition leaders have called for the Government to hold a General Election. In the Dáil yesterday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald stated that “the decision of who is in Government must be placed in the hands of the people” and added that yesterday’s announcement can only lead to the decision to hold a General Election. Social Democrats leader, Holly Cairns, added that the Taoiseach’s resignation fails to instil confidence in the future of the current Government and outlined how the next Taoiseach should be decided by the electorate, not Fine Gael. However, Mr. Varadkar reiterated that the work of the current government will continue as is, quashing speculation that a General Election will be triggered on account of this leadership change.