Well over par

24 August 2020 By Aimee Donnellan Follow @aimeedonnellan

The Irish public are outraged about an elite golf jolly that flouted Covid-19 restrictions. One minister has resigned and European Commissioner Phil Hogan is under severe pressure. A swift departure would help Brussels look less like a technocratic refuge from popular politics.

This content is for Subscribers only

Context News

European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan on Aug. 23 apologised for attending a golf dinner in his native Ireland that may have breached Covid-19 regulations.

Ireland’s prime minister and deputy prime minister have asked Hogan to consider his position. A European Union official said Hogan would not resign.

The dinner has led to other political resignations, including a cabinet minister. Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Aug. 23 that the flouting of rules had damaged the national effort to fight Covid-19 at a time when infections are rising.

While driving to the golf dinner, Hogan was stopped and cautioned by police for using his mobile phone, a spokesman for Hogan said on Aug. 23.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked Hogan to deliver a full report about what happened.

Email a friend

Please complete the form below.

Required fields *