Varadkar, who is the youngest and first out gay leader of the country, announced the decision at a press conference in Dublin on Wednesday (20 March) in which he said leading the country was “the most fulfilling time of my life”. He cited “personal and political” reasons for stepping back from his role and said in an emotional statement that “one part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else”. “That time is now,’ the 45-year-old taoiseach said on the steps of the government building in Dublin, “So I am resigning as president and leader of Fine Gael effective today and will resign as taoiseach as soon as my successor is able to take up that office.”