Kenny, Enda

Kenny, Enda ĕnˈdä [key], 1951–, Irish politician. After teaching primary school, he was elected to the Irish parliament in 1975, winning his late father's seat and becoming the body's youngest member. A member of the Fine Gael party, he served as minister of tourism and trade (1994–97) under Prime Minister Bruton. Kenny became party leader in 2002 and set about rebuilding Fine Gael. After Fine Gael won a large plurality in 2011, Kenny formed a coalition government with the Labour party and became prime minister. He also served as acting defense minister in 2014. With the acquiescence of Fianna Fáil, Kenny remained prime minister after Fine Gael narrowly held onto a plurality despite significant losses in 2016, but he stepped down as party leader and prime minister in 2017. He was succeeded by Leo Varadkar.

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