Leo Varadkar elected leader Fine Gael party.

Leo Varadkar is set to become the Republic of Ireland’s next Prime Minister after winning the leadership of the Fine Gael party. The 38-year-old will become the first gay Prime Minister and will also be the country’s youngest ever leader.

Mr Varadkar beat his rival, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, with 60 per cent of the votes to lead Fine Gael – the biggest party in the coalition government. He will succeed Enda Kenny as leader of the centre-right party within weeks.

Leo Varadkar, minister for social protection, was elected on Friday as leader of Ireland’s Fine Gael, the country’s biggest political party.

Varadkar secured 60 percent of the total weighted vote in the contest while his only rival Simon Coveney, minister for housing, planning, community and local government, only took 40 percent.

Varadkar will succeed Enda Kenny, who has been taoiseach (prime minister) since 2011 and leader of the ruling party since 2002.

In mid May, Kenny retired as leader of Fine Gael under pressure from both inside and outside of the party.

In a statement after Varadkar’s victory, Kenny congratulated his successor as leader of Fine Gael, saying that he wanted to extend his “heartiest” congratulations to Varadkar.

“This is a tremendous honor for him and I know he will devote his life to improving the lives of people across our country. He will have my full support in the work that lies ahead,” Kenny said.

The current taoiseach said he will now provide a “brief but appropriate” period for Varadkar to form a new government.

Varadkar,  delivering his victory speech, said he was honored to be elected as party leader.He said it is the start of a more democratic, more engaged and more inclusive Fine Gael party.

Earlier, his only rival Coveney pledged full support to the new party leader. Coveney said Varadkar was a worthy winner of the contest and that he would work side by side with him to do everything he could to help the new leader.

Born on Jan. 18, 1979 in Dublin, Varadkar is the youngest child and only son of an Indian immigrant father and an Irish mother.

The young Dubliner was 22 when he entered Irish politics. At 27, he was elected to parliament.

Varadkar will become the youngest taoiseach in the history of the country at 38.

The Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, must now vote to ratify Varadkar, a move that is expected to take place within the next fortnight.