Ireland’s Leo Varadkar becomes prime minister again

He replaces Micheal Martin in a rotation between his Fine Gael and the Fianna Fail parties unprecedented in Irish history.

Leo Varadkar receives the seals of office from President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Ireland’s Leo Varadkar on Saturday took over as Prime Minister for the second time, a handover of power in line with a coalition deal struck in 2020.

Dr Varadkar replaced Micheal Martin as Taoiseach in a rotation between his Fine Gael and Mr Martin’s Fianna Fail parties unprecedented in Irish history.

The centre-right parties, the two main partners in a three-party governing coalition, were forged from opposing sides in the Irish Civil War in the early 20th century. They agreed to the rotating premiership as part of a coalition with Ireland’s Greens following 2020 elections.

Dr Varadkar, who is mixed race and openly gay, is stepping up from deputy premier. Even in his second stint in the role, at 43 he is still one of Ireland’s youngest-ever leaders. Speaking at a special sitting of parliament in Dublin, Dr Varadkar paid tribute to Mr Martin, who he said had provided “reassurance and hope in difficult times”.

Dr Varadkar gained the support of 87 members of parliament in a vote on Saturday, while 62 voted against.

Dr Varadkar’s rise to the top of Irish politics was remarkable in a country dominated by a strict conservative Catholic morality well into the latter half of the last century. He became the country’s youngest Taoiseach at the age of 38 as well as its first openly gay head of government and first of Indian heritage.

Dr Varadkar was born in Dublin to an Irish mother who worked as a nurse and an Indian immigrant father who was a qualified doctor. After gaining a medical degree from Trinity College Dublin, he went into general practice but stayed involved in politics, and in 2007 secured election for Fine Gael in Dublin West.

In 2015, before Ireland’s referendum legalising same-sex marriage, he came out publicly as gay. His tenure as Taoiseach was overshadowed by Brexit and the pandemic, during which he re-registered as a doctor and returned to work once a week while continuing to lead the country.

AFP