"I don’t like the idea that people ‘ought’ to have a particular political philosophy because they are brown, or white, or female or gay"

Leo Varadkar is one of the defining Irish political figures of his generation. He served twice as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland — from June 2017 to Jun 2020, and again from December 2022 to April 2024 — making history as the country's first openly gay Taoiseach. He governed through a period of rapid social change, including the marriage equality referendum, Brexit, and the pandemic.

Varadkar is the author of the candid memoir Speaking My Mind, in which he reflects on leadership, identity, and marriage equality. Since leaving frontline politics, he has become Senior Fellow for the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

"A transformative period in Irish and global politics" - Mary Regan