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Leo Varadkar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Varadkar in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th Taoiseach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 17 December 2022 – 9 April 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Michael D. Higgins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Simon Harris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 June 2017 – 27 June 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Michael D. Higgins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Enda Kenny | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 June 2020 – 17 December 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Simon Coveney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of Fine Gael | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 June 2017 – 20 March 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Simon Coveney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Enda Kenny | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Simon Harris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Teachta Dála | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office May 2007 – November 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Dublin West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 January 1979 Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Fine Gael | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic partner | Matthew Barrett | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | The King's Hospital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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14th Taoiseach
Ministerial posts (2011–2017)
14th Taoiseach (2017–2020; 2022–2024)
Tánaiste (2020–2022)
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Leo Eric Varadkar (/vəˈrædkər/ və-RAD-kər; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024, as Tánaiste from 2020 to 2022, and as leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. A TD for the Dublin West constituency from 2007 to 2024, he held a range of other ministerial positions during his time in government. Described as centre-right economically, he advocated free markets, lower taxes, and welfare reform. On social issues, he supported successful constitutional referendums to legalise same-sex marriage and to liberalise Ireland's abortion laws.
Born in Dublin, Varadkar is multiracial, with a father from Mumbai, India, and a mother from Dungarvan, County Waterford. He studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin and worked as a non-consultant hospital doctor and general practitioner. A member of Fine Gael since his teenage years, he ran unsuccessfully in the 1999 local elections but was co-opted onto Fingal County Council in 2003. He was elected to the council in the 2004 local elections, attaining the highest number of first-preference votes of any candidate in the country. First elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2007 general election, he was appointed to the cabinet of Taoiseach Enda Kenny following the 2011 general election, which saw Fine Gael return to government after 14 years in opposition. He served as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport from 2011 to 2014, Minister for Health from 2014 to 2016, and Minister for Social Protection from 2016 to 2017. During the campaign for the 2015 same-sex marriage referendum, he came out as gay, the first serving Irish minister to do so.[1]
Following Kenny's resignation, Varadkar defeated Simon Coveney in the 2017 Fine Gael leadership election and was appointed Taoiseach on 14 June 2017. Aged 38, he was at that time the youngest Taoiseach in the history of the state.[2] He became the first Taoiseach from an ethnic minority group,[3] as well as Ireland's first, and the world's fifth, openly gay head of government.[4] He led Fine Gael into the 2020 general election, in which the party won 35 seats, a loss of 15 seats since the 2016 general election. After lengthy negotiations, Fine Gael formed a three-party coalition government with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, with the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael party leaders rotating the offices of Taoiseach and Tánaiste.[5]
Varadkar served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to December 2022, when he exchanged positions with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to begin his second term as Taoiseach. Citing personal and political reasons, he resigned as Fine Gael leader on 20 March 2024 and resigned as Taoiseach on 8 April; he was succeeded by Simon Harris.[6][7][8] He subsequently announced that he would not contest the 2024 general election, saying that he wished to "explore new options and opportunities".[9][10]
- ^ Armstrong, Kathy (2 June 2017). "'Significant step for equality'- the world reacts to Leo Varadkar becoming the new Fine Gael leader". Irish Independent. Dublin. ISSN 0021-1222. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ Wallenfeldt, Jeff. "Leo Varadkar". Britannica. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Leo Varadkar: Born to an Indian father, a historic gay PM for Ireland". Hindustan Times. New Delhi. Agence France-Presse. 3 June 2017. ISSN 0972-0243. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- ^ Kwak, Bethia (27 May 2017). "Ireland appears set to elect first openly gay prime minister". NBC News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
If elected, Varadkar would only be the fourth openly gay world leader in modern history. The others include Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, former Prime Minister of Belgium, Elio Di Rupo, and former Prime Minister of Iceland, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (28 June 2020). "Revealed: new Cabinet and Taoiseach's Seanad nominees". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Cunningham, Paul (8 April 2024). "Varadkar formally tenders resignation as Taoiseach to President Higgins". RTÉ News.
- ^ "Statement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings". Gov.ie (Press release). Department of the Taoiseach. 20 March 2024. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Glen (9 April 2024). "In Pictures: Simon Harris becomes youngest Taoiseach in history of the State". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "Leo Varadkar: Former Irish PM will not stand in general election". BBC News. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (17 July 2024). "Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar announces he will not contest next general election". RTE News. Retrieved 8 November 2024.