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Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will resign as the country’s leader, he announced on Wednesday.
Varadkar said he will step down as leader of his party, Fine Gael, effective immediately, and will resign as prime minister once his successor is chosen.
“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,” he told reporters at a press conference. “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 is the first openly gay prime minister of Ireland, and the first of Indian heritage.
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The Irish government has faced pressure in recent weeks over two failed referendum votes earlier this month that sought to update the country’s constitution.
Varadkar, who said he was resigning his post for both “personal and political reasons,” has served as prime minister twice, from 2017 to 2020, and again beginning in Dec. 2022.
Micheál Martin, Ireland’s deputy prime minster, told reporters he was surprised by Varadkar’s decision. “I didn’t expect it at all,” he said.