Leo Varadkar Set To Become Ireland’s Youngest Prime Minister
Almost all focus on the fact that the Republic of Ireland is set to have a half-Indian, openly gay prime minister.
Mr Varadkar has come to embody the liberalisation of a country which was once regarded as one of the most socially conservative in Europe.
But, in Ireland, Mr Varadkar’s sexuality and ethnic background have not been particularly prominent.
He has won the race for the leadership of Fine Gael – the biggest party in the country’s ruling coalition – meaning he is in line to take over as taoiseach (Irish prime minister) in the next few weeks.
The leadership contest focused primarily on socio-economic issues and the defining challenges for Mr Varadkar will be how to build on the Republic of Ireland’s recovery from the financial disaster of several years ago, and how to manage Brexit.
Mr Varadkar was born on 18 January 1979 in Dublin.
His father Ashok – a doctor from Mumbai – met his mother Miriam, an Irish nurse, while they were both working in Slough in Berkshire.
Until the 1990s, homosexuality and divorce were illegal.
There were few immigrants, and the Republic of Ireland was one of the poorer members of the EU.
Mr Varadkar followed his father into medicine.
He became a councillor aged 24 and, in 2007, he was elected to the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann.
The so-called Celtic Tiger was a global phenomenon – low corporate tax rates brought massive investment to the Republic of Ireland, which became one of the richest countries in the world.
But the economy crashed amidst the worldwide financial crisis – and Ireland had to accept a £71bn international bailout.
In the aftermath, Fine Gael came to power at the head of a coalition in 2011.
Mr Varadkar was appointed minister for transport, tourism and sport – and then health minister.
