THERE APPEARED TO be a weight lifted from Leo Varadkar’s shoulders yesterday as he arrived at what will be his last European Council meeting as Taoiseach.
“Hello Irish media, how are you all this morning?,” he asked as he stopped to speak to reporters on the way in.
Just over 24 hours earlier, he had walked down the steps of Government Buildings and made the unexpected announcement that he would be resigning as leader of Fine Gael and as Taoiseach after seven years in office.
“I am no longer the best person for that job,” he said as he fought back tears in an emotional speech.
The Taoiseach thanked the people of Ireland, promised that he would continue to work for the country and then promptly returned back inside without taking questions.
Over the course of the next 24 hours, there were calls for a general election as attention within Fine Gael shifted to who would be Varadkar’s successor.
The public also wanted to know if the Taoiseach was really standing down for his stated reasons or if there was more to the story.
This was among the first questions put to him in Brussels on Thursday morning when he faced the media for the first time since his speech.
When asked again today if there are any reasons for his resignation that have not yet been made public the Taoiseach responded:
I think the question you’re asking me is [if] there is some sort of scandal that’s about to break that I’m aware of. And there isn’t, is the straight answer to that.
“I understand the need for conspiracy theories and speculation, but that’s simply not the case,” he said.
There was almost a sense of relief from him as he told reporters he was “genuinely” yet to decide on his plans for the future. He was quick to kill the suggestion that it might involve a top job in Europe, and even ruled out a possible ministerial position, instead saying that we would soon learn what he wants to spend his time doing.
Whether there will be interest in it or not will be another story, he said.
By his own account, the gravity of the week’s events had not sunk in with the Taoiseach yet.
Recounting briefly the events of Wednesday, the day he resigned, he said it ended with a late night at the office, home to a takeaway and brief chat with his partner, and up early again for an 8am flight to Brussels.
And how did his partner Matthew Barrett feel about it all? Matt, the Taoiseach said, was delighted.
“This life was never for him,” he said.
The Taoiseach’s dealings with the press over the past two days were peppered with quick and sharp comebacks and even the odd outright dig – one in particular at the poor folk who have been tasked with writing about his legacy in the Sunday papers.
“It’s a pity they get paid to do it quite frankly because it will all be rubbish,” he said when asked what he thinks he’ll be remembered for as Taoiseach, noting that it takes years to properly assess a politician’s legacy.
His current answer was that he had “no idea” but that a budget surplus and full employment might make the list.
One might have thought that given it was his last EU Summit, the Taoiseach might want to go out with a bit of a bang.
Perhaps use the opportunity to really push for EU action against Israel over its actions in Gaza or to hammer home the need to maintain support to Ukraine or to maybe make a big statement on climate change.
Well, one would have thought wrong.
“It’s not about making major statements,” was the Taoiseach’s response when asked.
He insisted that a collaborative approach was what was needed and that this would be how he would appeal to other EU leaders to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as an entire bloc.
When this happened on Thursday night, the Taoiseach said it was “good” that there was now a common EU position “very much in line with the public position of the Irish government”.
Today however, the Taoiseach alongside the prime ministers of Spain, Slovenia and Malta did go a step further than other leaders on Gaza.
The four co-signed a letter agreeing that they will consider recognising Palestinian statehood and that they would do so when it would “make a positive contribution” and when the time was right.
The significance of the trip for Varadkar was not lost on other EU leaders, who presented the Taoiseach with a parting gift as is custom when a Council member departs – although one would feel sorry for the poor staffer who had to organise this one at such short notice.
In a private meeting, the Taoiseach was presented with a glass sculpture of the Europa Building “Lantern” engraved with his name.
It is also understood he was gifted a medal from Italy which commemorates Ukrainian resistance, although it was not given directly to the Taoiseach by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Council President Charles Michel spoke fondly of his “dear friend Leo” for his “determination, dedication and personal contribution to building a better and more equal and diverse Europe”.
This #EUCO was the last of our dear friend @LeoVaradkar. Dear Leo, thank you for your determination, dedication and personal contribution to building a better and more equal and diverse Europe.
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) March 21, 2024
Buíochas leat as do chuid oibre, agus ádh mór! pic.twitter.com/JZvgMWHD5M
The Taoiseach seemed to take it all in his stride, although his voice did waver this morning as he spoke again to reporters about his cabinet.
He said:
In seven years as party leader, I was blessed by the people I had around me. They were so good.
There was also visible emotion from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe who attended the summit today in his role as President of the Eurogroup.
What does the future hold for Paschal Donohoe?
Not long before stepping in front of the cameras this morning, the Minister had just announced his backing of Simon Harris as leader of Fine Gael after much speculation about whether Donohoe himself might put his own name forward for the contest.
“I know you all want to talk to me about capital markets union so I’m going to open up at great lengths about that topic,” the minister joked as he arrived.
“Just give us the concise version, Minister,” one reporter quipped back.
“For me, that’s at least 30 minutes but I’ll do that another time,” Donohoe said.
The Minister was earnest in his comments on Varadkar’s departure, and seemed genuinely sad as he reflected on the fact it would be his last summit with the Taoiseach.
“My journey with Leo Varadkar started in Blanchardstown and part of it is ending here in Brussels today,” he said and wished him the best for the future.
Donohoe then moved to the matter of Simon Harris and spoke of how great a leader he believes Harris will be for Fine Gael. Although some might say he wasn’t quite as passionate in his delivery.
Minister Paschal Donohoe offers his support to Simon Harris in his bid to be leader of Fine Gael.
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) March 22, 2024
He says Harris has the qualities that will allow him to take the party to a different level.
@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/6xTqXhg6u8
There was almost a sombreness to Donohoe as he responded to questions about whether he believed a place remains for him in a Harris-led cabinet.
Donohoe has continuously said his focus is on his two roles – and it seems that the prospect of losing them could be weighing on the Minister.
A cabinet shake-up from Harris that results in Donohoe being moved from his brief could see him also forced to leave his role as Eurogroup President. However, given how highly regarded Donohoe is in that position, that prospect might be slim.
“It’s up to the new Taoiseach to decide who will be in the Cabinet,” was the response from Donohoe when asked about his future.
The Minister was not keen to spend too much time speculating on what plans a future Taoiseach might have and he seemed to grow impatient with reporters as they continued to press him.
“You’re asking me a question about the Eurogroup that’s really about something else,” was his response to one question.
He also didn’t want to be drawn on speculation about what a Simon Harris-led Fine Gael might look like:
“Simon will outline what his vision for leader of the party will be in due course.”
The hypotheticals and speculation won’t be continuing for long though, with the Fine Gael nomination deadline brought forward by a day to now end at 1pm on Sunday.
With the next European Council summit set for April, it’s looking like we will soon learn if European leaders are as amiable to Taoiseach Simon Harris as they have been to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
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