What is hidden behind the shocking resignation of the Irish Prime Minister?

(CNN) — Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stunned Ireland when he bluntly declared last week that he was “no longer the best person” to lead his country.

The Taoiseach surprised journalists, opposition MPs and even members of his own government with his decision to resign for “personal” but “mainly political” reasons.

The 45-year-old has become a familiar face on the international stage, making headlines in 2017 when, at the age of 38, he became the youngest Prime Minister in Irish history. Ireland’s first gay and mixed-race leader soon became the face of a new, more liberal Ireland, guiding progressive social change through a series of successful referendums.

He resumed the role of Taoiseach in December 2022 as part of the rotation of posts agreed by the coalition government formed after the 2020 general election.

In recent weeks, Varadkar has been praised for his solidarity with the people of Gaza, having challenged President Joe Biden over continued US support for Israel during a visit to the US last week.

Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray received word of the Taoiseach’s surprise statement less than an hour later on Wednesday. Bray told CNN that the resignation came as a “lightning out of the blue for everybody.”

Gary Murphy, professor of politics at Dublin City University, said there was a “certain humility” in the speech not usually associated with a politician who was often perceived as “alienated” and “lacking the common touch”. Is.

Murphy said, “For a Taoiseach to resign without pressure from his party is unprecedented in the Irish state.”

Even Varadkar appeared to be holding his breath on Thursday afternoon when he told reporters gathered for a summit of EU leaders in Brussels that the decision had not yet been ‘decided’. He tried to dispel rumors that a scandal might have emerged, insisting that “no incident” or “a single thing” prompted his resignation.

Despite this, doubts remain over the timing of his decision, less than three months before local and European elections. His successor, who will most likely be Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, will have to lead Fine Gael, a centre-right political party, against fierce opposition.

“A man in a hurry”

Leo Varadkar has often been described by commentators as “a man in a hurry”, having achieved the country’s top job after less than 10 years in politics. After a brief career as a doctor, Varadkar soon rose to the top and held high-profile positions such as Health Minister and Transport Minister.

After being appointed Taoiseach in 2017, he promoted himself as a leader of the “early risers”, promising to bring prosperity and financial stability to Ireland in the wake of the devastating financial crisis.

And although opposition figures and some commentators labeled him a “Thatcherite” defender of neoliberalism, Murphy insisted that Varadkar “never governed like this.”

“His administration, even before (the COVID-19 pandemic), had no problem spending public money, he had no political capital or credit,” Murphy said.

Murphy said Varadkar’s strong leadership during the pandemic was not something we should joke about. The Irish government took a more cautious approach to lockdown measures, which, despite sometimes being unpopular, led to significantly lower case numbers and death rates than its nearest neighbor the United Kingdom.

He also scored a significant victory with his handling of the Brexit saga, Bray said, pointing to his success in “breaking the impasse around a no-deal Brexit” in 2019. His ability to handle former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “not concerning”. However, with the Irish public, they wanted to hear less about Brexit and more about solutions to the deepening housing and homelessness crisis,” according to Bray.

Varadkar’s management of the housing crisis in particular will probably be the biggest mark on his legacy. Under both terms as Taoiseach, his government’s failure to meet affordable housing targets has left a generation of young voters unable to buy a home.

During his tenure, Ireland managed to abandon some conservative social norms promoted by the Catholic Church through referendums that legalized gay marriage and lifted the ban on abortion. This strong record ended in early March, when a referendum to remove constitutional reference to a woman’s place in the household was resoundingly rejected, handing Varadkar and his government a crushing defeat.

Murphy commented that the “huge scale” of the loss would have had an impact on his decision to leave, adding that Varadkar would have felt “some responsibility” for it.

Successor to a Social Media Expert

Ireland’s Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris announced on Friday that he will run to become leader of Fine Gael. (Credit: Nick Bradshaw/PA/ Alamy/ SIPA)

With a number of political heavyweights, including Finance Minister and Eurogroup President Pascal Donohoe, refusing to enter the ring, the stage is now set for Simon Harris to become the next Taoiseach.

The 37-year-old, who rose to prominence during his tenure as health minister during the pandemic, is considered by many to be a “mirrored” of Varadkar, Murphy said. Harris, however, is a more personable and effective communicator, having garnered a large online following due to her frequent use of platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok.

“Simon Harris promises to bring energy and enthusiasm to the role, and Fine Gael look forward to him connecting with an increasingly alienated electorate – young voters,” Bray said.

Mary Lou McDonald, president of the opposition Sinn Féin party, which has been making steady progress since 2020. (Credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

He will face formidable opposition in the form of Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin, which has made steady gains since its impressive election success in 2020. The party led by Mary Lou Macdonald has taken advantage of the government’s failure to address the problem. Housing in particular, promising voters that he has policies to end the crisis.

The main question is whether Harris has the “political ability behind the shine,” Murphy said, adding that her “big challenge” before the next general election will be to come up with some ideas that will “attract voters,” who will be first. Wanted March 2025.