BRUSSELS — Phil Hogan, the influential trade commissioner for the European Union, resigned Wednesday night over breaches to coronavirus guidelines during a recent dinner with lawmakers and other public figures in his native Ireland. The dinner, attended by about 80 politicians and government officials, violated a ban on large gatherings and fueled a sense that the powerful consider themselves above the rules they impose on others. The uproar had already led to the resignation of Ireland’s agriculture minister and the disciplining of several lawmakers. Mr. Hogan insisted on Tuesday that he had adhered to all rules during the trip, having gotten a negative coronavirus test. But Ireland’s regulations require anyone coming from Belgium to undergo a 14-day quarantine, which Mr. Hogan did not do.

Source: International New York Times August 26, 2020 21:33 UTC