Mr. Leo Varadkar has been elected as the Prime Minister (Taoisearch) of Ireland for a second term.
He has also served in this role from 2017-20. At that time, he was replaced by Mr. Micheál Martin.
Today, he returned as the leader.
What is Taoisearch?
The term comes from ancient Gaelic and is used in modern Irish. It translates to a position similar to a Prime Minister.
Likewise, the Irish parliament is called the Dáil.
What are the main challenges facing him?
The main challenges that he will have to tackle as the leader are:
A. Ireland has to navigate the post Brexit relationship with the UK. Ireland remains a member of the EU.
B. Like most Europe, keeping citizens warm as energy costs soar because of the Russia – Ukraine war, is a major challenge.
C. During the Covid pandemic, Mr. Varadaraj, who is a doctor by profession, re-registered himself and worked as a doctor once a week. However, the Irish healthcare system is overworked and understaffed, and will need urgent attention.
D. The Housing crisis in Ireland. Today, renting a house can take away almost half of a person’s total take home earning. Buying a house is even harder. This is leading to a housing crisis.
E. The employment issue. Ireland needs to create jobs for its population.