-kr; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician of the Fine Gael party who has held the offices of Taoiseach and Minister for Defense since 2017 and Tnaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment since June 2020. He has served as Fine Gael’s leader since June 2017 and as a TD for the Dublin West district since 2007. Prior to becoming Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s Minister of Social Protection in 2016, he had held the positions of Minister of Health from 2014 to 2016, Minister of Transport, Tourism, and Sport from 2011 to 2014, and Minister of Social Protection from 2016 to 2017.
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Leo Varadkar’s ethnicity is unknown.
Similar to Enda Kenny’s second term, Varadkar’s campaign for Taoiseach was supported by Independents and the abstention of Fianna Fil TDs. He was chosen as the new Taoiseach on June 14, 2017, by 5750 votes to 47 abstentions. He was the youngest and the first openly gay Taoiseach of Ireland, but he wasn’t the youngest head of an Irish government at the time he took office in the revolutionary governments that existed before the state was established. Michael Collins and Amon de Valera were both younger when they assumed their respective posts. Additionally, he is the first head of state who is part Indian. Additionally, it was the first time a Fine Gael Taoiseach was replaced by another.
In his first act as Taoiseach, Varadkar declared a 2018 abortion referendum. The administration, according to him, would also lay out a roadmap for developing a low-carbon economy.
The Garda whistleblower affair and Tnaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Frances Fitzgerald’s involvement in it nearly brought down his administration. The largest opposition party, Fianna Fil, threatened to move a vote of no confidence against the Tnaiste when they were in a confidence-and-supply arrangement with Fine Gael. Due to the breaking of the confidence and supply agreement, this action would have brought about the collapse of the government and a general election. After Fitzgerald resigned from the cabinet to stop the election, which the majority of the country did not want because it might have compromised the Irish position in Brexit negotiations, the crisis was avoided despite days of deadlock. Following this, Varadkar made a small cabinet reshuffle in which he named Josepha Madigan Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, and former leadership rival and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney Tnaiste.
As Arlene Foster, the head of the Democratic Unionist Party, opposed to a settlement made by Varadkar, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the Brexit negotiations came to a standstill soon after the Fitzgerald crisis. As the deadline drew near, this prohibited a deal from being made. Varadkar expressed his “surprise” and “disappointment” that the UK was unable to come to an agreement. A consensus agreement was completed later in the week. According to Varadkar, the UK had assured him that there would be no physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Then, he quoted the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, adding, “This is not the end, this is the end of the beginning,” after saying that he and his cabinet had “achieved all we set out to achieve” during the negotiations. In a recent Irish Times survey, Varadkar received a 53 percent approval rating, the highest rating for a Taoiseach since 2011, and Fine Gael had an eleven-point advantage against Fianna Fil. The greatest level in almost ten years of government satisfaction was at 41 percent. The Taoiseach concluded 2017 “on a high,” according to Irish Times columnist Pat Leahy, and IrishCentral dubbed it the Taoiseach’s “finest hour.”
Is Fine Gael a spiritual group?
Irish liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party; English: “Family (or Tribe) of the Irish” In terms of Dil ireann members and Irish members of the European Parliament, Fine Gael is now the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland. In 2021, the party will have 25,000 members. Enda Kenny, who had served as the party’s head since 2002 and as Taoiseach since 2011, was succeeded as party leader by Leo Varadkar on June 2, 2017, and as prime minister on June 14.
Sinn Fin leans left or right.
Sinn Fin is a left-leaning, democratic socialist, and republican party in Ireland. The party is affiliated with the European United LeftNordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) parliamentary group in the European Parliament. In 2014, key party strategist and ideologue EoinBroin characterized Sinn Fin’s entire political goal as openly populist, classifying it as “populist socialist” in literature.
What does the English term Fianna Fail mean?
Fianna Fil, formally known as Fianna FilThe Republican Party (Irish: Fianna FilAn Pirt Poblachtnach), is a conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Its name translates to “Soldiers of Destiny” or “Warriors of Fl.”
What does an Irish blue shirt mean?
The Army Comrades Association (ACA), later known as the National Guard, Young Ireland, and lastly League of Youth, was a paramilitary group in the Irish Free State that was established in Dublin on August 11, 1932. Its best-known moniker is the Blueshirts (Irish: Na Linte Gorma). The group offered actual physical defense against IRA attacks and intimidation for political organizations like Cumann na nGaedheal. After the organization was disbanded, several former members went on to fight for the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War.
The majority of the political parties whose meetings the Blueshirts guarded merged to form Fine Gael, and party members are occasionally still referred to as “Blueshirts” in that context. In Irish society, there has been much discussion about whether or not it is accurate to label the Blueshirts as fascists.
What language is spoken in Ireland?
Did you know? The official languages of the Republic of Ireland are English and Gaeilge. The gentle sounds of Ullans are heard in Northern Ireland (Ulster-Scots). The majority of Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) regions may be found on the west coast, where Irish is a common language.
Who is the Tnaiste at the moment?
On the recommendation of the Taoiseach, the Irish President appoints the Tnaiste. Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, TD, who was appointed on June 27, 2020, currently holds the position.