EU Commission says Golfgate not sole reason for Hogan resignation

Phil Hogan is said to feel hard done by for having lost his position as EU trade commissioner, in the wake of a court decision to throw out all charges against those accused of organising the Golfgate dinner.

Mr Hogan was the highest-profile politician to lose his job in the aftermath of the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden, and his resignation in August 2020 was seen as a blow to Ireland's clout in Brussels as trade is a powerful portfolio and he was considered a heavyweight within the European Commission.

Allies of Mr Hogan have suggested that the ruling sheds a poor light on the administration of commission president Ursula von der Leyen for not standing by the former Fine Gael minister in August 2020 as pressure mounted over alleged breaches of Covid-19 rules.

At a press conference on Friday, an Italian journalist described the development as “quite embarrassing for the president” and asked whether there would be an apology.

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But the commission's chief spokesman Eric Mamer pointed out that the ruling concerned only the Golfgate dinner itself, and suggested that there were various other acts by Mr Hogan that had led to his ousting.

Relations deteriorated

“I’d like to remind you that the court’s decision concerns one event in particular, a very precise event,” Mr Mamer said. “I’m not aware of any connection between this decision and all the activities by the members of the commission, specifically Mr Hogan, during that period.”

The commission initially defended Mr Hogan after the news of the Golfgate dinner broke.

But relations with him deteriorated during a drip-drip of new revelations that he had appeared in various locations around Ireland during a 14-day quarantine period that, as an arriving traveller from Brussels, he was subject to at the time.

Mr Hogan was asked by his boss to come clean by presenting a full itinerary of his movements, and trust broke down when this was found to be incomplete, sources said.

Mr Hogan apologised for making mistakes following his resignation but insisted he had broken no laws. Sources close to him have said he holds the media responsible for ending his political career.

When contacted for comment by The Irish Times he said: “I have no comment to make to you Naomi and you should understand why.”

Mr Hogan has moved into private sector consultancy work since leaving the commission, offering businesses advice based on his experience in the trade role and prior stint as agriculture commissioner.