A gay son of an Indian immigrant is now all but certain to become the next prime minister of Ireland, a country that has rapidly been leaving its conservative Roman Catholic social traditions behind.

Leo Varadkar, who was chosen on Friday by the Fine Gael party to be its leader, and therefore the head of the center-right governing coalition, will be the first openly gay taoiseach (as Ireland’s prime minister is called), and, at 38, the youngest. He succeeds Enda Kenny, who is stepping down.

Mr Varadkar, like his immigrant father, is also a qualified doctor, although he is reluctant to have his political career framed by those labels.

“It’s not something that defines me,” he said as he publicly confirmed his sexuality two years ago.

 

He joined Ireland fans in Poland at Euro 2012 during his time as tourism minister.
He joined Ireland fans in Poland at Euro 2012 during his time as tourism minister. Credit: PA

“I’m not a half-Indian politician, or a doctor politician or a gay politician for that matter.

“It’s just part of who I am, it doesn’t define me, it is part of my character I suppose.”

Nonetheless, Mr Varadkar’s emergence as the first cabinet minister to come out as gay was a powerful moment in a nation that took until 1993 to decriminalise homosexuality.

A few months after his 2015 announcement the country voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage, a decision the centre-right conservative said had “the feeling of a social movement or a social revolution”.

Leo Varadkar, centre, seen in 2007.
Leo Varadkar, centre, seen in 2007. Credit: PA

Many in the party believe the Dublin-born-and-raised Mr Varadkar is representative of an urban, progressive generation that can help sell the party to the wider electorate at the next election.

Although he had rallied for the change in marriage law in public, he remains otherwise private about his personal life, though he is known to have been in a relationship with another medic for two years.

Mr Varadkar’s own medical career quickly made way for his political ambitions, which began at 22 after he was educated at Dublin’s Trinity College. Within five years, he was elected to parliament.

He has previously taken controversial stances on immigration, including a policy that would see unemployed immigrants paid to leave the country while serving as his party’s spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment.

Leo Varadkar served as health minister among his cabinet roles.
Leo Varadkar served as health minister among his cabinet roles. Credit: PA

That raised eyebrows given his background as the son of parents, Waterford-born mum Miriam and Mumbai-born Ashok, who had both worked abroad when they met in the UK.

After tenures as minister for transport, tourism and sport, health and social protection, he launched his long-prepared bid to replace Enda Kelly as taoiseach when the party leader announced in May he was stepping down.

Mr Varadkar declared himself the candidate for “people who get up early in the morning” alongside pledges to reform self-employment tax laws and fight welfare fraud.

He has also promised to hold a referendum on abortion in 2018.

Leo Varadkar opened his campaign to lead the Fine Gael party in Dublin last month. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Despite his own attempt to play down the significance of his sexuality, his formal election will be championed by LGBT activists as he joins Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel as Europe’s only other openly gay leader.

SOURCE: ITV / CBS