EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan has resigned after flouting Irish coronavirus restriction measures, his head of cabinet Peter Power told dpa on Wednesday evening, confirming media reports.
Hogan had been under fire for having attended a dinner in his home country of Ireland last week that contravened the nation’s coronavirus rules.
The pressure increased earlier Wednesday when even Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Power had offered “changing narratives” around his movements.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan of the governing coalition also told national broadcaster RTE that the government no longer had confidence in the commissioner.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had asked Hogan for an explanation of his behaviour in Ireland and had been looking into his response since Tuesday.
Von der Leyen’s spokesman did not initially want to comment on Hogan’s resignation on Wednesday evening.
The trade commissioner is one of the most important positions in the powerful Brussels body, responsible for negotiating trade agreements on behalf of all 27 member states with partners around the world. Hogan’s role was also key in the ongoing negotiations with Britain over its post-Brexit trading relationship with the EU.
The 60-year-old Hogan was accused of having attended a Golf Society dinner in a hotel in the west of Ireland with about 80 other people which violated the current upper limit for meetings.
Irish Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary had already resigned for attending the same event.
In an interview with RTE late on Tuesday, Hogan apologized and provided an explanation of his movements to and from a county under local lockdown, after his return from Brussels on July 31.
According to Department of Health regulations, a person is required to restrict their movements for 14 days if they arrive in Ireland from a country not on the green list.
Hogan said he tested negative for Covid-19 during a hospital visit on August 5 and this meant he was “not under any subsequent legal requirement to self-isolate or quarantine.”
In response to the interview, the three-government party leaders said that Hogan’s “delayed and hesitant release of information had undermined public confidence.” – DPA.
