Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced his resignation from office on Wednesday (Mar. 20), stating that he would also step down as the leader of the Fine Gael party.

In a press conference, the taoiseach - the Irish term for "prime minister" - described his tenure in the top job as "the most fulfilling time of [his] life," adding that his decision was influenced by "personal and political" reasons.

"[A]fter careful consideration, and some soul searching, I believe that a new Taoiseach (prime minister) and a new leader will be better placed than me to achieve (the coalition government's re-election)," Varadkar said.

Across the Irish Sea, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wished Varadkar well following his resignation, with a spokesperson saying that he would "work closely with him and his successor."

"Ireland is a vital partner of the UK," the spokesperson was quoted by the BBC.

Varadkar's Legacy

Varadkar became the youngest prime minister of Ireland when he became the leader of Fine Gael and the coalition government in Dublin which also included Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

In his announcement, he said that he had "led Ireland from unemployment to full employment, from budget deficit to budget surplus, from austerity to prosperity."

Being also the first openly gay Irish PM, Varadkar added that he was "proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place when it comes to the rights of children, the LGBT community, equality for women and their bodily autonomy."

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin - who was prime minister from 2020 to 2022 in a power sharing agreement with Varadkar - said he was "surprised" by the decision.

"I want to take the opportunity to thank him sincerely, we got on very well," Martin said, adding that he remained committed to fulfilling the full term of the coalition government.

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Political Reactions

Irish government parties said that they do not expect Wednesday's announcement to trigger a general election.

However, Irish Opposition Leader and Sinn Féin party president Mary Lou McDonald spoke in the Dáil - the lower house of Irish parliament - calling for a general election, saying that it was "unthinkable" for the next prime minister to be chosen by a "conclave" of Fine Gael politicians.

"This is a time for fresh leadership. Not just a change of taoiseach, but a change of government, and a change of direction," she said.

British-ruled Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle 'O'Neill, also from Sinn Féin, concurred with McDonald, saying that it was "time for an election" in the Republic of Ireland.

"Now is not a 'time for the rearranging of the deck chairs,'" she added.

Sinn Féin was formerly affiliated as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, according to Reuters.

With the resignation of Varadkar, the race is on for who would replace him.

Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, Attorney General Helen McEntee, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys are in the lead-up for the top job.

However, in an interview with Irish public broadcaster RTE, Fine Gael deputy leader and Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Minister Simon Coveney said that he was standing down from the taoiseach race.

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