Ireland's Varadkar Faces Election Threat as Brexit Crunch Looms
- Varadkar doesn’t want election, but says won’t abandon deputy
- Episode comes at a delicate moment as Brexit decision looms
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Ireland’s government pledged to stand by its embattled deputy leader, raising the stakes in a stand-off which could lead to a surprise general election just as Brexit negotiations hurtle toward a crunch point.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar won’t “abandon” his deputy, Frances Fitzgerald, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said in a RTE radio interview on Friday after opposition political forces on Thursday demanded she resign over her handling of a whistle blower controversy.