EU Commissioner Hogan is refusing to resign

[L.A.T.1961]

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan is refusing to resign following the Golfgate scandal, with pressure mounting on the Supreme Court judge who also attended the function to step down.

As the fallout continues, with no sign of public anger abating, Mr Hogan has ignored calls from across the political divide to quit his EU post. He flew back to Brussels on Saturday, and yesterday issued a second apology in an attempt to draw a line under the controversy.

Mr Hogan was one of 80 people who attended an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner last Wednesday

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40036736.html 

and there's more -

Hogan stopped by garda for using his phone while driving to golf dinner.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/hogan-stopped-by-garda-for-using-his-phone-while-driving-to-golf-dinner-1.4336813

 

Strange there is no mention on BBC news website of this, could it be because its an EU commissioner doing naughty things and the EU does no wrong.   

[+and-then]

Wait...wuuut?  What did he do that everyone is miffed about?  He used his phone while driving?  Or was it his attendance at the golf function?  Please tell me it was being a dangerous driver.

[Arbenol]

3 hours ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

Strange there is no mention on BBC news website of this, could it be because its an EU commissioner doing naughty things and the EU does no wrong.   

I know. I could only find these three!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53876750

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53880051

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53881363

[RAyMO]

9 hours ago, seanjo said:

Eeerm, much as I loathe the EU, should he actually lose his job over this? Are they hounding all the other attendees? 

Yes minister for Agriculture has resigned. and rightly so, you can't have government telling people you can't do x y and z and then for members of that government to go out and do those very things. 

Edited August 25, 2020 by RAyMO

[L.A.T.1961]

13 hours ago, Arbenol said:

I know. I could only find these three!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53876750

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53880051

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53881363

I admire your tenacity, I didn't venture into sub section world stories, sub-sub section  Europe stories.

As the EU trade commissioner he will have a roll in future relationship with the UK at the end of the year and I did think it would merit a mention on the front page.  Unfortunately his name does not start with Dom. 

[L.A.T.1961]

10 hours ago, seanjo said:

Eeerm, much as I loathe the EU, should he actually lose his job over this?

I don't think it will come to that. He will not resign as his job is with Brussels. 

He would have to be pushed by von der Leyen and she has only just stopped Hogan leaving and applying for the top WTO job. 

Brussels has little interest in Ireland's domestic political situation and so von der Leyen's decision will be motivated by her own EU issues. 

If that means sacrificing the will of many in Ireland so be it. 

 

[Ozymandias]

Whatever about the EU's interests, it is obvious that our man Phil stays in his role as EU Commissioner for Trade during Brexit. The vast majority of people in Ireland want this, and so too does Ursula Von Der Leyen who has every reason to see him continue in the role. She never wanted him to move to the WTO but the decision to do so or not was always his. In the end he decided not to formally propose himself as a candidate for that job and chose instead to remain in his EU job. 

[RAyMO]

57 minutes ago, Ozymandias said:

Whatever about the EU's interests, it is obvious that our man Phil stays in his role as EU Commissioner for Trade during Brexit. The vast majority of people in Ireland want this, and so too does Ursula Von Der Leyen who has every reason to see him continue in the role. She never wanted him to move to the WTO but the decision to do so or not was always his. In the end he decided not to formally propose himself as a candidate for that job and chose instead to remain in his EU job. 

Is his position at the gift of the Irish Government - if not its a mute point. If so he should go both for flouting Covid rules and apparently using the phone while driving - both a danger to others. . 

[Arbenol]

8 hours ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

I admire your tenacity, I didn't venture into sub section world stories, sub-sub section  Europe stories.

 

Tenacity? Hardly. 

The entire process of finding those stories and posting my response literally took me two minutes. 

[L.A.T.1961]

15 hours ago, Arbenol said:

Tenacity? Hardly. 

The entire process of finding those stories and posting my response literally took me two minutes. 

But you had the knowledge that the story existed and could specifically look for it. If Joe blogs clicked on the bbc site and looked through the main content for daily news it would likely be missed. This is what to do when you want to say you have covered the topic while knowing many casual visitors will miss it. 

There can be no accusations made of the bbc censoring the news as it is on their site somewhere. I wonder how many clicks the story received?  

 

Anyhow the Hogan story is still rumbling on - 

EU trade chief Phil Hogan "has undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland," Prime Minister Micheál Martin told journalists in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Irish premier heaped more pressure on Hogan and the European Commission after a TV interview late Tuesday only inflamed questions about his breaches of coronavirus rules in the past weeks.

On Wednesday, the Commission said von der Leyen was still picking through Hogan's public account of his actions.

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-prime-minister-phil-hogan-undermined-public-health-policy/

[Ozymandias]

3 hours ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

But you had the knowledge that the story existed and could specifically look for it. If Joe blogs clicked on the bbc site and looked through the main content for daily news it would likely be missed. This is what to do when you want to say you have covered the topic while knowing many casual visitors will miss it. 

There can be no accusations made of the bbc censoring the news as it is on their site somewhere. I wonder how many clicks the story received?  

 

Anyhow the Hogan story is still rumbling on - 

EU trade chief Phil Hogan "has undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland," Prime Minister Micheál Martin told journalists in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Irish premier heaped more pressure on Hogan and the European Commission after a TV interview late Tuesday only inflamed questions about his breaches of coronavirus rules in the past weeks.

On Wednesday, the Commission said von der Leyen was still picking through Hogan's public account of his actions.

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-prime-minister-phil-hogan-undermined-public-health-policy/

Why should the BBC give any prominence to this story? It is obviously relevant within the context of Irish national politics and also in the context of EU affairs, buthe UK is left the EU, so what relevance could it have to viewers of the BBC, all of whom no longer belong to the EU and none are Irish nationals? 

Why is it an issue for you? Is your problem with Phil Hogan? And if so, why? What he did is of no consequence to you personally, is it?.

Or is your problem with the BBC burying the story (if that is what they did!)? If so, why do you think the BBC should give more prominence to Irish political controversies?  

[L.A.T.1961]

Looks like Hogan is history and will resign. 

EU trade chief Hogan to resign over coronavirus backlash.

The European Union’s trade chief, Phil Hogan, will resign on Wednesday, according to an official familiar with his plans who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/eu-trade-chief-hogan-to-resign-over-coronavirus-backlash-1.1485325

And Its finally made front page on the bbc interweb news. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53923052

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by L.A.T.1961

[L.A.T.1961]

2 minutes ago, Ozymandias said:

Why should the BBC give any prominence to this story? It is obviously relevant within the context of Irish national politics and also in the context of EU affairs, buthe UK is left the EU, so what relevance could it have to viewers of the BBC, all of whom no longer belong to the EU and none are Irish nationals? 

Why is it an issue for you? Is your problem with Phil Hogan? And if so, why? What he did is of no consequence to you personally, is it?.

Or is your problem with the BBC burying the story (if that is what they did!)? If so, why do you think the BBC should give more prominence to Irish political controversies?  

I think the bbc should have given it prominence as the story is at least as important as  "Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer injured in canoe accident" which is currently on the front page.

I have no particular issue with Hogan but he is, or was, the EU commissioner for trade and whoever holds that post will influence future trade relationship with UK. On that basis I think the story is relevant to the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-53921050

 

[L.A.T.1961]

Hogan resignation statement -

Mr Hogan said: "It was becoming increasingly clear that the controversy concerning my recent visit to Ireland was becoming a distraction from my work as an EU Commissioner and would undermine my work in the key months ahead.
"I deeply regret that my trip to Ireland - the country I have been so proud to represent as a public servant for most of my adult life - caused such concern, unease and upset.

"I have always tried to comply with all Covid-19 regulations in Ireland and had understood that I had met with all relevant public health guidelines, particularly following confirmation of a negative Covid-19 test," he added.

"I reiterate my heartfelt apology to the Irish people for mistakes I made during my visit.
"The Irish people have made incredible efforts to contain the coronavirus, and the European Commission will continue to support you, and all EU member states, in defeating this terrible pandemic."

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Hogan-resignation-long-overdue-but-leaves-Ireland-in-weakened-Brexit-position-Cork-TDs-react-to-latest-GolfGate-twist-34078466-fe1b-4999-992b-c46f10c556b8-ds

[L.A.T.1961]

Some early comments - 

Cork TD Colm Burke (FG) said it leaves Ireland in a weakened position ahead of crunch Brexit talks in the coming months.

“The problem that we now have is the reappointment. - “The likelihood is that whoever is appointed will not get the same portfolio.

“I think it is unfortunate that this has happened at a time when we needed a strong commissioner in Brussels,” he added.

“We’re now in the final stages of Brexit, which will have huge consequences if a deal is not reached.

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Hogan-resignation-long-overdue-but-leaves-Ireland-in-weakened-Brexit-position-Cork-TDs-react-to-latest-GolfGate-twist-34078466-fe1b-4999-992b-c46f10c556b8-ds

[Arbenol]

7 hours ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

But you had the knowledge that the story existed and could specifically look for it. If Joe blogs clicked on the bbc site and looked through the main content for daily news it would likely be missed. This is what to do when you want to say you have covered the topic while knowing many casual visitors will miss it. 

There can be no accusations made of the bbc censoring the news as it is on their site somewhere. I wonder how many clicks the story received?  

 

Anyhow the Hogan story is still rumbling on - 

EU trade chief Phil Hogan "has undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland," Prime Minister Micheál Martin told journalists in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Irish premier heaped more pressure on Hogan and the European Commission after a TV interview late Tuesday only inflamed questions about his breaches of coronavirus rules in the past weeks.

On Wednesday, the Commission said von der Leyen was still picking through Hogan's public account of his actions.

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-prime-minister-phil-hogan-undermined-public-health-policy/

Your statement

"Strange there is no mention on BBC news website of this"

was clearly incorrect.

[L.A.T.1961]

If the average person with no knowledge of the story cannot see the story due to placement then it might as well not be there. Don't you agree ? 

But yes, if a direct search was used using appropriate key words, a link would appear for bbc and other sites. So technically my comment was incorrect. 

I looked, knowing of the story, and could not find it just browsing the bbc site like many would.

Which is why I stated at the time it was not there. 

[L.A.T.1961]

Phil Hogan's COVID-19 breach calls into question clout of EU Commission's code of conduct.

 

[L.A.T.1961]

Why Phil Hogan (eventually) had to go.

Trade negotiators are famous for their mastery of technical detail, but Phil Hogan just lost his job as the EU’s top trade negotiator because the details didn’t add up.

https://www.politico.eu/article/why-phil-hogan-eventually-had-to-go/