When the Republic of Ireland held a referendum on abortion (25 May 2018), it became apparent during the day, even before the final result was known, that an overwhelming majority had voted yes to changing the country’s constitution and so enabling the government to introduce legislation legalising abortion in the country. Without any attempt to conceal his elation at the result, the Irish Prime Minister, Mr Leo Varadkar, stated that the victory was the “culmination of a quiet revolution”. I find Mr Varadkar’s statement most disagreeable, distasteful and disrespectful. In this short reflection, I would like to analyse the broader aspects of this statement and so reveal the shocking content of this Machiavellian utterance.
 

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