{ { Infobox election
| election_name = 2017 Fine Gael leadership election
| country =
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2002 Fine Gael leadership election
| previous_year = 2002
| next_election =
| next_year =
| election_date =
| 2blank = Party Membership
| 3blank = Local Representatives
| 4blank = Parliamentary Party
| 1blank = Electoral College
| image1 =
| candidate1 = Leo Varadkar
| party1 =
| leaders_seat1 = Dublin West
| colour1 =
| 2data1 = 3,772 (8.7%) | 3data1 = 123 (5.5%) | 4data1 = 51 (45.4%) | 1data1 = 59.6% | image2 = | candidate2 = Simon Coveney | party2 = | leaders_seat2 = Cork South-Central | colour2 = | 2data2 = 7,051 (16.3%)| 3data2 = 100 (4.5%) | 4data2 = 22 (19.6%) | 1data2 = 40.4% | title = Leader | posttitle = | before_election = Enda Kenny (Interim) | after_election = Leo Varadkar }} The 2017 Fine Gael leadership election''' was triggered in May 2017, when Enda Kenny resigned as party leader. Voting began by members of Fine Gael and Young Fine Gael on 29 May 2017. On 2 June Leo Varadkar was announced as the victor, beating rival Simon Coveney. With Fine Gael being the governing party at the time, this election effectively appointed a new Taoiseach for Ireland.
The electoral system was an electoral college of the members of the Fine Gael party, Fine Gael councillors and Fine Gael parliamentary party members. The result was announced on 2 June 2017 when, at a special meeting, the parliamentary party cast their votes. Varadkar became Fine Gael leader immediately upon the announcement of the result, but did not immediately assume the office of Taoiseach. On 13 June at a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting, he announced that the runner up Simon Coveney would be appointed the deputy leader of the party.
Varadkar was appointed by the President to the office of Taoiseach following his nomination by a vote in Dáil Éireann on 14 June. He became Ireland's youngest Taoiseach, as well as the first who is openly gay. Varadkar is mixed-race and is the first person of Indian-origin to serve in the role of Taoiseach.
Background
Enda Kenny has been Fine Gael leader since 2002, being first Leader of the Opposition, and then Taoiseach following the 2011 general election. The 2016 general election saw Fine Gael lose seats, and its Labour Party coalition partners substantially diminished. Despite these losses, Kenny was unexpectedly able to form a new minority coalition government. Kenny was weakened by criticisms of his handling Garda whistleblower scandal, and—according to an analysis by RTÉ.ie—was an electoral liability to his party at a time when an election could be imminent leading to calls for him to step down.
On 17 May 2017, Kenny announced his intention to step down as party leader, effective at midnight. He requested that the party conclude the election of his successor by 2 June and said that he would step down as Taoiseach shortly thereafter.
Candidates
Simon Coveney, TD for Cork South-Central, Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Leo Varadkar, TD for Dublin West, Minister for Social Protection
Declined to be candidates
Richard Bruton, TD for Dublin Bay North, Minister for Education and Skills
Paschal Donohoe, TD for Dublin Central, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Simon Harris, TD for Wicklow, Minister for Health Frances Fitzgerald, TD for Dublin Mid-West, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality
Electoral process
Rule 49 of Fine Gael's Constitution and Rules state that a leadership contest is decided by an electoral college. These rules were brought in to effect in 2002 after Enda Kenny assumed the leadership, and came about as a result of a motion put forward by Leo Varadkar. This means that this was the first Fine Gael election were the electoral college was in effect. The electoral votes are allocated:
65% to the Fine Gael parliamentary party (TDs, Senators and MEPs); 25% to ordinary Fine Gael members, including Young Fine Gael; 10% to Fine Gael local representatives (city and county councillors and members of Údarás na Gaeltachta).
At the time of the vote the parliamentary party consisted of 73 members (50 TDs, 19 Senators and 4 MEPs). There were about 21,000 party members and Fine Gael had 235 local representatives: 232 councillors and 3 Údarás na Gaeltachta members.
