He was hardly off the plane after his starring role on St. Patrick's Day in the White House.
Leo Varadkar announced today that he will be leaving his job as Taoiseach and will be stepping down as Fine Gael leader.
The announcement came after all the green of St. Patrick's Day and pretty much out of the blue.
Speaking outside Government Buildings in Dublin, an emotional Varadkar said that serving as Taoiseach had been the most fulfilling time of his life, with Ireland becoming a more equal and modern place, including for women and LGBT people.
According to RTE, Varadkar, said that he is resigning as Fine Gael leader now, and will remain as Taoiseach until a new party leader is elected after the Easter recess.
His successor will have a full two months before the local and European elections in June, he said.
"My reasons for stepping down are both personal and political. I believe the re-election of this three party government will be the right thing for the future of our country," Varadkar said.
"After careful consideration, and some soul searching, I believe a new Taoiseach will be better placed than me to achieve that. After seven years in office, I don't feel I'm the best person for that job anymore".
As per RTE: First elected in 2007, Mr Varadkar has previously said he would not stay in politics beyond the age of 50. In 2011 Mr Varadkar was appointed as minister for transport by then-taoiseach Enda Kenny, before taking up the health portfolio in 2014. He became Taoiseach in 2017, after beating Simon Coveney in the race to succeed Mr Kenny. He was the youngest person to hold the post.
Despite the surprise, even shock, surrounding Varadkar's announcement reports indicate that there is little chance of a general election anytime soon and that the three party coalition government will continue for the foreseeable future. There does not have to be a general election until sometime next year.
After the 2020 general election, Varadkar's Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin reached an agreement that saw both men holding the job of Taoiseach on a rotating basis.
Varadkar served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and again since 2022. He is 45 years of age.
