Ireland's Varadkar to quit as PM in surprise move, reports say

Ireland's Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar holds a press conference in Stormont Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, February 5, 2024. REUTERS/Carrie Davenport/File Phot

Leo Varadkar will step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party in a surprise move, Irish media reported on Wednesday.

He will hold a press conference at 1200 GMT on Wednesday, the government said.

Varadkar's departure as head of the three-party coalition does not automatically trigger a general election and he could be replaced by a new Fine Gael leader.

Varadkar in 2017 became the first gay prime minister of the once-staunchly Catholic country and the youngest person to hold the office. He returned to the premiership in 2022.