EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan has stepped down from his role over the Golfgate scandal. Reports emerged over the weekend that Hogan had travelled across Ireland without respecting COVID-19 restrictions.The move sparked public outrage and the Irish government lost confidence in him.
Appointed in 2014 as agriculture commissioner, Hogan rose through the ranks to win the coveted trade post under Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission in December 2019. His departure creates another problem for Von der Leyen, who will need to find a replacement, amid difficult trade talks with America, China and the UK. Von der Leyen paid tribute to Hogan’s work as Trade Commissioner, calling him a “valuable and respected member of the College”
In a statement, Hogan said he resigned after it became “increasingly clear” the incident was becoming a “distraction” from his work as a commissioner. Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin has been forced to defend the future of his government after it emerged a number of senior members of his party, Fianna Fáil, were there. In response to Hogan’s resignation, the Irish government said it was the “correct course of action given the circumstances of the past week”, adding it will consider a replacement in due course.
Source: Euronews
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