"Former taoiseach sets out to justify his actions and sometimes rewrites history, writes John Downing"
"Less than a year after quitting electoral politics, former political wunderkind, and one-time youngest-ever taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has produced a political memoir, Speaking My Mind. Here is a flavour of Varadkar's political apologia in the only seven things you need to know. Political memoirs are inevitably self-justifications and Speaking My Mind could well be entitled "How I Was Right - and Why the Rest of Politics Got Me Wrong.""
Leo Varadkar mounts a vigorous defense of his political decisions and leadership, framing controversial moves as necessary responses to complex challenges. He portrays himself as a reformer and modernizer while casting critics and opponents as resistant or misguided. He selectively reframes events and timelines to support his interpretation of outcomes and to justify strategic choices. He emphasizes personal judgment and competence, suggesting that misunderstandings and partisan opposition explain criticism. He seeks to shape public perception by highlighting successes, minimizing errors, and presenting contested episodes in a way that underlines his belief that his decisions were ultimately vindicated.
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