Citing reasons both “personal and political,” Mr. Varadkar, 45, said he would step down from the party leadership effective immediately and would continue to serve as prime minister until Fine Gael elects a new leader before the Easter break. That post is expected to be in filled when the government returns on April 16.
Mr. Varadkar made the unexpected announcement shortly after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, his voice at times cracking with emotion.
There had been no indication of his decision just days earlier when he visited the White House and met with President Biden for St. Patrick’s Day. But Mr. Varadkar has been unable to revive the fortunes of Fine Gael since it came third in the 2020 election, when the most votes went to Sinn Fein — the party that has historically called for uniting Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom, with the Republic of Ireland. That result was damaging to the longstanding dominance of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, which went on to form a coalition government alongside the Green Party.
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