The Irish Prime Minister welcomed the quiet revolution in his country

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar hailed a "quiet revolution" in the country today after the provisional results of the referendum showed that the Irish voted overwhelmingly in favor of liberalizing abortion laws. Vardakar spoke after the publication of exit polls that indicate strong support for the reform of the law, the BBC reports. Exit polls show that 69 percent of Irish people voted to repeal the part of the Constitution that prohibits termination of pregnancy. The final results are expected later this evening. "The people have had their say. They have said that we need a modern Constitution for a modern country," Varadkar said, according to the BBC. The prime minister, who advocated for liberalization before the referendum, said that what was happening was "the culmination of the quiet revolution that has been taking place in Ireland for the last 20 years". The Prime Minister added that Irish voters "have respect for women and trust that they will make the right choices and decisions about their own health." Almost 3,5 million voters were called to make a decision after a difficult campaign, during which the differences between cities and villages, young and less young, widened. The referendum asked a precise question about the repeal of the 8th amendment to the Irish Constitution, adopted in 1983, which prohibits abortion in the name of the right to life of "the unborn child (...) equally with the mother". After the death of a pregnant woman from sepsis, a reform was introduced in 2013 that allowed an exception in case the mother's life was threatened. Varadkar said a landslide victory for the pro-liberal party would give his government a stronger mandate when it prepares abortion laws to be tabled in parliament in a few months' time. Irish legislation is among the most restrictive in Europe, along with Malta and Northern Ireland, so since 1983, tens of thousands of women have gone abroad to have abortions.

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