Ursula von der Leyen has to look around for a new EU trade commissioner. Phil Hogan, who most recently initiated a customs deal with the United States, has resigned due to violations of the corona rules.
- Phil Hogan has resigned from his post as EU trade commissioner.
- The Irishman had violated the Corona rules in his home country.
- With this, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen loses an accomplished negotiator.
Brussels - EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan resigns for violating corona rules in his home country Ireland. Corresponding media reports confirmed Hogan's head of cabinet Peter Power on Wednesday evening at the German Press Agency in Brussels. The Irish government had previously distanced itself from Hogan and accused him of clearly violating pandemic requirements.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had asked Hogan for an explanation of his behavior in Ireland and had been carefully examining it since Tuesday. Von der Leyen's spokesman initially did not want to comment on Wednesday evening. The trade commissioner is one of the most important positions in the powerful Brussels authority responsible for negotiating trade agreements on behalf of all 27 member states with partners around the world.
No longer EU Trade Commissioner: Phil Hogan has made his post available.
© Virginia Mayo / dpa
EU trade commissioner resigns: Hogan is said to have attended dinner with 80 people
The 60-year-old Hogan was accused of having attended a golf company dinner with around 80 other people in a hotel in the west of Ireland. This is said to have violated the applicable upper limit for meetings . Irish Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary has resigned for attending the same event . Hogan had apologized for his participation in the event, but stressed that he had assumed that the organizers were complying with all regulations.
The Ministry of Health in Dublin also accuses Hogan of violating pandemic measures after entering Ireland with journeys .
EU trade commissioner resigns: Hogan was also a member of the cabinet under Juncker
Hogan of the Fine Gael party took office as EU trade commissioner on December 1st. Before that, he was responsible for EU agricultural policy in Jean-Claude Juncker's EU Commission . In the early 1980s, the economist temporarily ran his family's farm before he became a member of parliament and later, among other things, environment minister.
Hogan is considered an experienced and accomplished politician and negotiator . Most recently, the Irishman was even traded as a possible new Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) . However, because the new appointment to the WTO post was delayed, he decided not to run.
Must find a new trade commissioner: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces a delicate task.
© Lukasz Kobus / dpa
EU trade commissioner resigns: important deal negotiated with the US
As trade commissioner, Hogan had invested a lot of time in the project to settle the trade dispute with the USA . He recently negotiated a deal with Washington for mutual tariff relief . Shortly before that, the USA had waived an intended tightening of its punitive tariffs on products from Germany and other EU countries.
Other big topics for Hogan were the planned EU trade agreement with Great Britain and a fundamental review of the current EU trade policy . This should also include the question of whether the EU has the right instruments to protect itself from unfair competitive practices . (dpa)
A corona aid package was put together in the EU with a groundbreaking debt plan. Even on her birthday, Angela Merkel showed uncompromising compliance with the corona rules. Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer not only have to reprimand the Chancellor.
List of rubric lists: © Lukasz Kobus / dpa