Leo Varadkar
By Irish Echo Staff
Leo Varadkar has been elected the new leader of Fine Gael.
In all likelihood, the man whose father is from Mumbai, India, and whose mother hails from Waterford, will be taoiseach within a matter of days.
Mr. Varadkar, who is himself a medical doctor, secured the leadership after party rank and file members, local councilors, and members of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, cast ballots in a contest that pitted him against fellow minister and Cork TD, Simon Coveney.
In the vote, Mr. Coveney secured the backing of a majority of roughly 21,000 grassroots party members, but it was a weighted ballot with the 235 elected councilors and parliamentary party members having the greater say.
And it was among these voters that Mr. Vardakar prevailed.
The parliamentary vote – TDs, senators and MEPs – broke 51-22 for Varadkar.
Votes were tallied and the result announced in the Round Room of Dublin’s Mansion House.
Even as he ascends to the top of his party, Mr. Varadkar will continue to defer to Enda Kenny who will remain as taoiseach for a short time.
Mr. Kenny is due to fly out this weekend for Chicago for a series of trade and business related engagements Monday and Tuesday next, this in his continuing capacity as head of the Irish government.
Upon Mr. Kenny’s return, it is expected that Fine Gael will open negotiations with other parties and individual Dáil members with the intention of having Mr. Varadkar confirmed as Mr. Kenny’s successor.
If this process fails a general election would follow, but this seems an unlikely scenario.
What appears more likely, indeed almost certain, is that 38-year-old Dublin-born Mr. Varadkar, who is gay, will become Ireland’s youngest ever taoiseach.
