When Leo Varadkar stepped down as Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, earlier this year, he was by no means done with politics.
Ahead of local and EU elections, Imran Garda went to meet with the Fine Gael politician in Dublin, as the nation wrestles with the intertwining issues of migration and a cost of living crisis. Varadkar gives his view on what drives anti-immigrant sentiment and slogans such as “Ireland is full!” – as well as the appeal of populist far-right parties across Europe. The former Taoiseach also shares why he supports Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state and tells The InnerView why he believes it is important for his country to play an active role in addressing the root causes of global problems and being a part of the solution.
00:00 Meet Leo Varadkar
01:14 Stepping down as Irish Prime Minister
01:45 Regret or pride?
02:29 Varadkar’s biggest success
04:01 Ireland-UK relations during and after Brexit. What went wrong?
05:40 Brexit’s impact on immigration
07:27 Ireland is full?
09:22 On economy, refugees, and anti-immigrant sentiment
13:22 “We need to be a part of solution”
15:06 Populism in the EU elections
16:37 The Gaza war and why it is a disaster for both Israel and Palestine
18:11 The similarities between the Irish and the Palestinian people
19:29 Ireland recognizes the Palestinian state. Why is it important?
20:50 How does Ireland see the state of Palestine?
21:48 What would Varadkar say to Netanyahu if given the opportunity?
22:42 Ireland’s place in the world
24:16 Relations with Russia
25:19 Varadkar’s principles
Subscribe:
http://trt.world/subscribe
Livestream: http://trt.world/ytlive
Facebook: http://trt.world/facebook
Twitter: http://trt.world/twitter
Instagram: http://trt.world/instagram
Visit our website: http://trt.world