European Commissioner Phil Hogan resigns after breaches of health rules

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2 min

European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan had to resign from his post on Wednesday August 26. His fault: he did not respect the anti-coronavirus measures in his country, Ireland. A blunder that he pays at a high price.

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The "Golfgate" caught up with him. Phil Hogan has however apologized several times. As of August 23, he posted on Twitter: “  I am deeply sorry.  " But it was not enough. The European Trade Commissioner tendered his resignation on the evening of Wednesday 26 August. The scandal got the better of his mandate.

My statement of resignation,

08/26/20 : https://t.co/Rj8arwq76T 🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

A golf gala with 80 guests and without barrier gestures

The fault of the European Commissioner: having participated in a golf gala on August 19 in Ireland. A dinner with more than 80 guests, without compliance with anti-Covid-19 measures. Irish Minister of Agriculture Dara Calleary also attended. He was the first to resign.

Phil Hogan had to complete four pages detailing his actions during his stay in his country. This was a request from the President of the European Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen. The now former European Trade Commissioner admitted that he "should  not have attended this dinner  ".

Under pressure from the Irish government, Phil Hogan therefore finally tendered his resignation. There is therefore an important empty chair in Brussels, in the midst of trade tensions between the European Union and the United States.

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• European Union
• Coronavirus
• Ireland

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