EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan Resigns After Breaching Coronavirus Restrictions

The EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan resigned last week Wednesday after the Irish government accused him of breaking the COVID-19’s restriction law by attending a golf event with 80 other people.

A day after the Irish government imposed new restrictions to ease the high rate of coronavirus cases, Phil Hogan attended the political golf society event at a hotel in Galway, Ireland.

Hogan was accused of going against the new restrictions, which reduced the attendance of indoor events to six people down from previously allowed of fifty people.

Numerous politicians, and public figures, were present in the golf event, including Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Dara Callery, who also resigned.

Mr. Hogan’s appearance at the golf event sparked the media, but he said he did not break any restriction law. However, he should have been more rigorous in adherence to the guidelines made by the Irish government.

In his resignation statement, the outgoing EU trade commissioner said he regretted his trip to Ireland for a golf event that had caused such concern, unease, and upset.

“I had always tried to comply with all relevant Covid-19 Regulations in Ireland,” he continued. “I had understood that I had met with all relevant public health guidelines, particularly following confirmation of a negative Covid-19 test.”

“I reiterate my heartfelt apology to the Irish people for the mistakes I made during my visit,” he added.

EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she respected Hogan’s decision to resign, adding that she was “very grateful'” for his “tireless work” in the role.

Hogan issued a lengthy memorandum sent to von der Leyen, describing the Irish coronavirus’s restrictions and explaining how he adhered to them during his stay in Ireland between July 31 and August 21.

Hogan said he received a negative coronavirus test result while in hospital in early August. In an interview on Tuesday with Ireland’s state broadcaster RTE News, he added he “did everything possible to ensure he was no risk to anybody.”

Nevertheless, in the aftermath of the scandal, Ireland’s leader Micheál Martin and Deputy Premier Leo Varadkar said they told Hogan to consider his position.

“I think he should apologize, and I think he should be far more fulsome in his response to this and should understand the anger… across the country,” Martin told Irish media on Friday.

Phil Hogan took his role as an EU trade commissioner in 2019, and he is 60 years old.

He was previously Ireland’s commissioner for agricultural and rural development and has served in both Ireland’s Houses of Parliament.