Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s taoiseach or prime minister, announced Wednesday that he will step down in a shocking move.
During a press briefing outside Parliament in Dublin, Varadkar said he was resigning for “personal and political” reasons. He called his years leading the country the “most fulfilling time” of his life.
“I know this will come as a surprise to many people and a disappointment to some, but I hope you will understand my decision,” Varadkar said during the briefing.
Varadkar, who became Ireland’s youngest and first openly gay taoiseach in 2017, said he would also step down as leader of the Fine Gael party. He said his resignation as party leader is effective immediately, but he would continue to serve as prime minister until the party elects a new leader. That will likely happen before the Irish parliament’s Easter break, and the new leader is expected to…
