SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Ireland's center-right Fine Gael Party has elected Leo Varadkar as its leader and therefore next prime minister. He'll be Ireland's youngest leader at 38. He's the son of an Irish nurse and a doctor from Mumbai. He told the party conference, when my father traveled 5,000 miles to build a new home in Ireland, I doubt he ever dreamed his son would grow up to be its leader.
Mr. Varadkar is also gay. He was a doctor like his father before entering politics and was elected to Parliament, then minister of health. Leo Varadkar is considered a free market economic conservative who says, I want to dedicate ourselves to building a republic of opportunity. The next prime minister of Ireland is a 38-year-old Indian gay conservative. Only in America - oh, wait.
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