Leo Varadkar announces he is stepping down as Ireland’s PM

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will stand down from the position, and also relinquish his role as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will stand down from the position, and also relinquish his role as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party, he announced on March 20.

“When I became party leader and taoiseach back in June 2017, I knew that one part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass the baton to someone else, and then having the courage to do it. That time is now,” he said after recalling his government’s achievements in a speech.

“There is never a right time to resign high office, however this is as good a time as any,” he added.

Mr. Varadkar (45) served his first term as Ireland’s Prime Minister between 2017 and 2020 — the country’s youngest-ever leader and first openly gay Prime Minister. Mr. Varadkar, whose mother is Irish and father is Indian, was also Ireland’s first biracial taoiseach.

More details are awaited