Insta
Indian-Origin Leo Varadkar Formally Elected Ireland’s First Gay Prime Minister
Swarajya Staff
Jun 15, 2017, 10:59 AM | Updated 10:59 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Leo Varadkar, an openly gay Irish minister of Indian-origin, has been officially elected as the country's youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
Varadkar, 38, was formally elected Taoiseach - Prime Minister of Ireland- at a confirmation ceremony in the Dail in Dublin after he won the Fine Gael party leadership earlier this month. Varadkar will succeed Enda Kenny, who stepped down in May, following his involvement in a corruption scandal.
Varadkar was born in Dublin in 1979, the son of an Irish Catholic nurse from County Waterford and a Hindu doctor from Mumbai, India. His parents met in England in the 1960s and lived in India for a time before moving to Ireland.
As the next leader, he faces a number of challenges as he takes over the only EU country that has a land border with the UK as it prepares for Brexit. Abortion will be another big issue for Varadkar, specifically demands for a referendum on the future of the eighth amendment of Ireland's constitution.
Varadkar becomes the EU's youngest national leader, with Juri Ratas, the 38-year-old Estonian prime minister, and Emmanuel Macron, 39, of France, joining him as a trio under 40.
With inputs from ANI
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.