Leo Varadkar becomes youngest prime minister in Ireland's history

The Dail Eireann, lower house of Irish parliament, voted on Wednesday afternoon to elect Fine Gael (United Ireland Party) leader Leo Varadkar as prime minister, making him the youngest prime minister in the history of the country at just 38 years of age.

Varadkar was nominated for the position of prime minister after his predecessor Enda Kenny formally resigned on Monday.

In Wednesday's vote, Varadkar was elected by 57 to 50, with 47 abstentions. He got the support of his party and some independent TDs (members of parliament), which will guarantee him forming a minority government.

All TDs from Fianna Fail (Republican Party), Fine Gael's main rival, abstained in the vote.

In his acceptance speech, Varadkar said his new government will "not be one of left or right," but will be of "the new European center, a republic where every citizen gets a fair go."

He thanked outgoing Prime Minister Kenny for helping with the early stages of his parliament career, saying that he would not be standing here if it were not for the support.

Citing Kenny's leadership role during the same-sex marriage referendum in 2015, Varadkar said it enabled him to become an equal citizen in his own country.

During an interview on public broadcaster RTE in January 2015, Varadkar spoke publicly for the first time about being gay. This made him the first openly gay cabinet member in Ireland.

Varadkar was a prominent advocate of the 2015 same-sex marriage referendum. His partner, Matthew Barrett, is a doctor at Dublin's Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

After Varadkar was elected by parliament, Irish President Michael D Higgins appointed him as prime minister by signing the warrant of appointment at Aras an Uachtarain (the official residence of the Irish president).

Born on Jan. 18, 1979 in Dublin, Varadkar is the youngest child and only son of an Indian immigrant father and an Irish mother. He studied medicine at the prestigious Trinity College Dublin.

The young Dubliner was 22 when he entered Irish politics. He has been a TD for the Dublin West constituency since 2007. He held several ministerial posts in Kenny's cabinet.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)